A new Texas law mandates closer coordination with ICE at county jails. Sheriff J.C. Hooper says Nueces County has complied with similar practices for years.<\/p>\n
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas \u2014 A new state law taking effect with the new year requires most Texas sheriffs who operate county jails to formally coordinate with federal immigration authorities.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Area sheriff backs SB 8, which expands law enforcement’s ability to help ICE<\/a><\/p>\n Senate Bill 8 is designed to strengthen cooperation between local jails and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The law also includes state grant funding to help counties pay for officer training and inmate transportation tied to immigration detainers.<\/p>\n South Texas counties including Brooks and Jim Wells are expected to receive those grants.<\/p>\n Nueces County Sheriff J.C. Hooper said the mandate will not change operations locally.<\/p>\n \u201cThis mandate from the state that forces sheriffs to have an agreement with ICE won\u2019t change anything in Nueces County because we have had that relationship for the last eight years,\u201d Hooper said.<\/p>\n Under current practice in Nueces County, individuals arrested on criminal charges are checked through an immigration database. Once a case is handled, those identified by federal authorities may be turned over to ICE.<\/p>\n Hooper said the sheriff\u2019s office has long followed similar procedures to what is now required statewide, making Senate Bill 8 largely a formality for Nueces County.<\/p>\n The law is part of a broader slate of new state measures taking effect in the new year across Texas.<\/p>\n More from 3NEWS on KIIITV.com: \u00a0<\/p>\n