GWINNETT, Ga. — Councilman Kirkland Carden lead a press conference at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration building ahead of Tuesday's commissioner meeting. The councilman, alongside concerned residents expressed their reasoning for creating a petition in opposition of Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway.
Councilman Carden now has over 1,000 signatures on his petition, which he plans to present to commissioners Tuesday evening. Carden is asking county leaders to do three things: recognize the significant contribution immigrants have made in Gwinnett, officially condemn Sheriff Conway's backing of D.A. King, and investigate Sheriff Conway’s relationship with King.
Councilman Carden and his supporters say that King runs a pro-law enforcement group called the Dustin Inman Society that has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
"It was inappropriate for Sheriff Conway to back D.A. King as a panel speaker in a county that is one of the most diverse in the county," says Councilman Carden.
Lawrenceville resident and daughter of immigrants, Michelle Sanchez spoke at the conference expressing her distress, "it concerns me that Sheriff Conway would associate himself with a man like this."
Sheriff Conway issued this statement to 11 Alive saying:
"We recently attended Commissioner Fosque’s 287(g) discussion with the goal of educating the community about this important program. Our Public Information Officer represented our Office and a representative from I.C.E. spoke on their behalf. Commissioner Fosque required we provide a third panelist, so Mr. D.A. King was added to the discussion.
He is the founder of the Dustin Inman Society, whose Board of Advisors is comprised of a racially diverse group of people, some of whom are immigrants themselves. Mr. King has been featured in numerous mainstream media publications over the years, including a front page profile with the New York Times.
Special interest groups who oppose the 287(g) program have unfairly mischaracterized Mr. King. He showed professionalism and restraint when he was attacked during the meeting, which sadly turned from the desired information-sharing forum to an all out attack on his character.
I continue to support the 287(g) program because I see its continued benefits to the community. It serves as a deterrent to criminal illegal aliens and helps ensure they’re not returned to the community upon their release from incarceration. It saves taxpayer dollars by reducing the jail population.
Law enforcement services are equally available to everyone in our county, regardless of immigration status. The 287(g) program is not about politics. It’s about identifying illegal aliens committing crimes in our community. I will continue to utilize any tool at my disposal to help protect the community I am sworn to serve."
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