The Roane County Sheriff’s Office has officially entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to participate in the 287(g) Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program, fulfilling a Tennessee legal requirement for local sheriff’s offices.

Under this partnership, designated and ICE-certified jail personnel are authorized to serve and execute administrative immigration warrants on individuals already in custody at the Roane County Detention Facility.

Sheriff Tim Phillips noted that the initiative aims to enhance public safety by streamlining the custodial transfer of specific individuals to federal immigration authorities once their local criminal proceedings or scheduled releases conclude. The agreement applies strictly within the correctional facility, meaning participating personnel have no expanded law enforcement authority outside of serving administrative warrants inside the jail.