GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. () — One local county is opting to work with ICE agents to identify undocumented immigrants and serve warrants.

“These are human beings with families. These are people who benefit our country and our state,” said Eduardo Delgado from migrant equity Southeast.

That’s the concern from the group Migrant Equity Southeast after Glennville County Sheriff E. Neal Jump said he will collaborate with ICE on Federal Program 287G. The program allows specially trained deputies and detention officers to serve federal immigration warrants within the Glynn County detention center.

“This agreement would essentially ramp up even more of the immigration enforcement with the cooperation of the local deputies who have knowledge of the community and can probably be more effective in these immigration enforcement and family separations,” Delgado said.

Jump said the warrants will be served to people who have already been arrested for other illegal activity and who are in the country illegally.

While the sheriff said it will only affect those who have been arrested or are in jail, Delgado is still worried that any minor infractions may force immigrants to leave their families and the country.

“The response that we get from the community is essentially one of fear,” Delgado said. “You know, a lot of these folks drive daily to their jobs to feed their families. Maybe they pick up their kids from school. They are now fearful that a lot of these sheriff deputies will be essentially going around choosing the smallest infraction they can find and essentially starting the investigation into their status and then promptly then turned over to ice detention.”

Delgado says these even though these people are immigrants they are still a vital part of our community.

“They are, you know, providing critical labor that let’s be honest, U.S. Citizens aren’t willing to take these jobs, go out in the hot sun for $12 an hour,” Delgado said. “In the best-case scenario, folks aren’t going to want to do that. And so, by targeting these folks, we are essentially setting ourselves up for economic consequences.”

When we first covered this story, other counties in our area, such as Bryan, Effingham and Chatham counties, all said they will not be participating in the program. So far, Glynn County is the only county opting in our area.