Sheriff Randy Retter doesn’t know why Wayne County was labeled a sanctuary county by an anti-immigration think tank, but he made sure the county didn’t stay on that list.
Retter told Wayne County’s commissioners during their Jan. 29 meeting that he worked with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Indianapolis to assure the Center for Immigration Studies that Wayne County does, in fact, comply with ICE requests and protocols. On Dec. 23, Wayne County was removed from the website’s sanctuary list.
“They found out that their information was not correct, and they did get certification from ICE that we were considered in compliance,” Retter said.
The most recent update — from Jan. 7 — of the CIS website lists Lake, Monroe and St. Joseph as the only Indiana sanctuary counties. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed lawsuits against the sheriffs in Monroe and St. Joseph counties, claiming they do not properly notify ICE about the release of undocumented immigrants and refusal to honor ICE detainers.
Some municipalities across the U.S. have applied the sanctuary designation to indicate disagreement with federal policy around the treatment of migrants, noting that enforcing those laws is not the responsibility of local authorities.
Retter is taking a very different approach, saying he invited ICE personnel to visit his agency to discuss the ICE agenda and protocols and how his agency can better serve them.
The sheriff’s department provides ICE with a list of jail inmates at least once a day. ICE screens the inmates and can express interest in an inmate. Retter said his agency then keeps ICE informed if the inmate will bond out of jail or will be released on the inmate’s own recognizance if not formally charged with 48 hours. ICE has the opportunity to pick up the inmate on federal charges or a federal warrant.
In his comments, Retter associated, without evidence, undocumented immigrant populations and criminal activity. “If there’s anything that I can do not only to take them off the street but prevent them from going back into our communities, I’m going to take those steps,” Retter said.
Finance board
During the annual financial board meeting, new Treasurer Beth Fields presented commissioners with the interest and investment results from 2024.
Bank account interest totaled $1,782,482.43 and investments in certificates of deposit and bonds yielded $978,891.10 for a total of $2,765,104.38 under former Treasurer Nancy Funk and the office’s chief deputy, Cara Hollingsworth. Fields said the bar is set high by the “hard work and successful work that Nancy and Cara did together.”
The $1.7 million total surpassed the 2023 total by $446,503.37. The interest and investment income barely exceeded $1 million in 2022 and was just more than $600,000 during 2021. Fields said she asked Funk about the investment strategy, learning it involved studying, getting good advice and following her gut.
“I think I will move forward in the same fashion, and I will do the best I can,” Fields said.
One reason for the boost the past two years has been the $12.78 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The ARPA money earned $513,940.72 in interest last year, but dwindles as projects are implemented.
Commissioners accepted the financial report with thanks and congratulations to Funk and Hollingsworth. They also approved the county’s investment plan that will be in effect from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2029.
Fairgrounds projects
Steve Higinbotham reported to commissioners that the county’s fairgrounds committee identified four priority projects for the fairgrounds.
They are:
- Storage for the tables and chairs that can be rented
- Expansion of parking
- Insulation and duct work in First Bank Expo Hall
- Converting more of the 160 camp sites to 50-amp electrical service
Letters of support
Commissioners voted to submit a letter urging the Indiana legislature to maintain funding for the Health First Indiana program.
This is the second year of the initiative that increased funding for local health departments. Plasterer said the state’s budget bill cuts the HFI funding. Wayne County, which has some of the worst health outcomes in the state, has implemented programs to improve its population’s health, but Plasterer said it’s a long-term commitment.
The commissioners also approved a letter supporting Richmond’s application for a $250,000 grant it would apply to its activation of Whitewater Gorge Park. The county committed $1.4 million through the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program to the activation, and some of that money would serve as the grant’s match.
A version of this article appeared in the February 5 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.