Sheriff Mike Lewis to join almost 50 Sheriffs in Washington calling for action on immigration reforms

Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis will be in Washington DC on Wednesday, Sept. 5, to meet with White House officials on illegal immigration matters, Mexican Drug Trafficking Cartels, and to urge Congress to act on pending legislation to increase border security.

Sheriff Lewis will join almost 50 other Sheriffs from across the country as a united group of elected law enforcement officers at a media event on Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning. Joined by some members of Congress, this group of Sheriffs will share their experiences and public safety challenges associated with illegal aliens, human smuggling, drug trafficking, and call on Congress to act on pending legislation to increase border security and reform the immigration system.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Sheriffs will participate in a round table discussion at the White House with administration officials and policymakers. Hosted by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, the round table will focus on immigration, Mexican Drug Trafficking, border security and efforts by some elected officials to prevent the critical collaboration of local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. These partnerships maximize law enforcement’s potential to identify criminals in communities and remove them from neighborhoods.

“The purpose of this visit is to express the urgency of Congress passing legislation immediately on the security aspects of immigration reform,” Sheriff Lewis said. “It is our intention to tell Congress that their failure to deal with this issue for 20 years has made our communities less safe and has undermined our promise to the people who elected us to keep them safe.”

“During our visit to the White House, we will discuss the challenges we face as a result of the ongoing Congressional stalemate, strategies to more easily identify criminal illegal aliens, and explore ways to expand and protect our valuable and critically important relationships with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners,” Sheriff Lewis continued. “We will also take the opportunity to express and thank President Trump and his administration for re-establishing law enforcement’s footing to enforce our laws.

“America’s Sheriffs are elected by the people in their communities to keep them safe, and the continued inaction of Congress has put a major roadblock in law enforcement’s path to protecting our citizens and legal residents. It is our sworn duty to protect our citizens, and we, as Sheriffs, view this opportunity to push for meaningful immigration reform as a way to uphold our promise and our commitment to the people who elected us to protect them.”