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Sheriff Paul Heroux consistently promised during his campaigning that he would not re-involve the Bristol Correctional system with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He has not only kept his word by utilizing the building for training purposes — a building that once housed arrested undocumented immigrants — but has again publicly declared that he will not participate in the threatened deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Sheriff Heroux understands that the problems facing this nation regarding the millions of immigrants who breached the border is not their alleged criminality but the unsustainable cost to the communities most impacted by this influx.

If the immigration situation was characterized as a result of the startling inequities, impoverishment and uncontrolled gang violence in several of the nations south of the border and not as hordes of evil intentioned immigrants, there could be the possibility of resolving this crisis.

In no small measure the violent incident that occurred at the Bristol County immigration detention center on May 1, 2020, was one of the major factors in the voters replacing the former sheriff.

Sheriff Heroux is concentrating his attention and allocated resources on rehabilitation and re-entry of the incarcerated, which is the primary role of a county sheriff in Massachusetts.

Obviously Heroux recognizes that the immigration situation, locally or nationally, should not be a diversion from much more existential problems as it is the effect and not the cause of the startling inequities that are fueling the anger and resentment in the United States and abroad.

Betty Ussach is a Dartmouth resident.

3 replies on “Opinion: Sheriff keeps his promise not to get involved in deportations”

  1. Such a sad, and consistent opinion article from Betty. She actually admits illegal immigration is a problem to our communities, Denys that illegal immigration is illegal (which by the way it is) and proudly supports someone refusing to support assisting with a solution.

  2. she used the work ‘existential’ so she must be correct in her existential analysis of the existential issues facing existential challenges.

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