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TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Many people at a Smith County Immigration Q&A session in Tyler on Thursday were confused about the role of local sheriff’s offices as ICE raids have been reported across the country and in Texas.

“We’re scared, our children are scared, our family is scared,” an attendant said.

Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith reiterated that his deputies are not going into communities to look for people who are in the county illegally.

“We don’t go in Super 1 or Brookshire’s or any other Albertsons or Walmart looking for people to detain. If I’m in there, I’m looking for a dozen eggs or something else or something to eat. We don’t, we don’t profile people,” Smith said.

“I think the fear is coming from the federal government and it’s not a surprise for us to feel the fear here because we are a county that works with the federal government already,” an attendant, Emily Pinal said.

Pinal is referring to ICE program 287(g), it allows state and local law enforcement the authority to identify and remove undocumented immigrants who have done a crime. Smith County is the only county in East Texas listed by ICE as a part of the program.

Sheriff Smith said Smith county is a part of the program but will only abide by the program if the level of offence is a class ” B” and above. 

“A DWI or another class B misdemeanor is what I picked to through our ICE detention process,” Smith said. “Anything that are above, we will run their fingerprints once they’re incarcerated and determine whether or not they’re here illegally.”

Watch the full Immigration Q&A Session below:

Smith said his department will contact ICE and ICE will have 48 hours to pick the individual up. If ICE does not by 48 hours, the person is free to leave. 

“We will run their fingerprints once they’re incarcerated and determine whether or not they’re here illegally. If so, we contact ICE and then after our crime that they’re arrested for the state or local crime is satisfied. Then ICE has 48 hours to pick them up and is that a part of the 287(g)-detention program,” Smith said.

The top question asked by those in attendance is, will undocumented immigrants who are pulled over by law enforcement be arrested if they do not have a driver’s license? 

Smith responded to the question with the answer “no” unless a serious crime has been committed. 

Pinal believes it did not do enough to calm people’s fears. 

“I know how the criminal justice system works throughout Texas, especially in East Texas, so he can say one thing, but his officers can do the opposite on site,” Pinal said.

She’s worried about being profiled and asked Sheriff Smith if his deputies have had internal training.

“They go through a strenuous process by which their training is done. We don’t tolerate less than perfection,” Smith said.

Pinal was not satisfied with Smith’s answer.

“He didn’t give me examples to bring me the reassurance that I needed at least to be like, you know what, they have at least five trainings, but no, I didn’t get that reassurance here,” Pinal said.

The sheriffs said they don’t want people to feel afraid when reporting a crime. Ultimately, they say they are here to “protect and serve.”

“We protect and serve our communities, the protection part comes first. If you need our help, we don’t want you to not call us because of your immigration status,” Rusk Co. Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez said.

People could submit their questions anonymously to the forum here.