Meeting with the Sheriff
Did you ever imagine that part of your call would be to stand up to one of the most well-funded policing systems in the United States?
It can feel overwhelming. So where do you begin? For me, it starts with grounding myself in God’s call.
“And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
One of my passions in ministry is disaster response preparedness (DRP). This spring, in DRP planning meetings, I kept asking: How do we ensure that everyone in our county — including immigrants — can seek help without fear of detention or deportation? Often, I was met with silence. At one meeting, the Director of Emergency Management suggested that I speak directly with our county sheriff.
So I did.
Preparing for my July meeting with Winnebago County Sheriff John Metz was not something I took lightly. I bathed the process in prayer. A colleague introduced us by email. I researched community concerns and participated in the “Talk to Your Sheriff” training sponsored by Workers Circle. I wrote talking points and practiced staying open to dialogue.
The meeting itself was respectful and honest. We shared our backgrounds, finding common ground in my experience as a law enforcement chaplain and disaster responder. Sheriff Metz explained his reasoning for signing the 287(g) agreement with ICE, which authorizes local law enforcement to perform certain federal immigration enforcement functions. He is grounded in law and justice, committed to boundaries, and open to learning from the community.
I told him that if ICE ever asks him to violate the boundaries he has established, I would work with the community to support him in holding firm. He replied, “They haven’t asked.” I said, “They will. And know that I am here to help.”
I left encouraged — not because we agreed on everything, but because we began building trust. I believe relationships like this are essential if we are to protect vulnerable neighbors.
If you are considering a similar conversation with your own sheriff, I encourage you to:
“HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IN OUR COUNTY -INCLUDING IMMIGRANTS- CAN SEEK HELP WITHOUT FEAR OF DETENTION OR DEPORTATION?”
Ground yourself in prayer and Scripture. Let your faith guide your courage.
Learn the facts — about your sheriff’s policies, agreements with ICE, and the lived realities of immigrant neighbors.
Seek training and allies before you go. Community organizations can provide resources and strategies.
Approach with both conviction and openness. Speak the truth in love, and be willing to listen.
Sheriffs hold significant power over whether immigrant neighbors live in safety or fear. In counties with 287(g) agreements, that power includes deciding how extensively local resources are used to enforce federal immigration law. In every county, sheriffs decide how to prioritize community safety and whether all residents — regardless of immigration status — can access help in an emergency.
For people of faith, these are not just policy questions. They are moral questions about how we love our neighbors, welcome the stranger, and work for the common good.
My meeting with Sheriff Metz was one small step in a long journey. I pray it will bear fruit for justice and mercy in Winnebago County — and I hope others will take up this work in their own communities. When we prepare well, speak with courage, and keep showing up, we can build relationships that make a difference.
Your sheriff may not agree with you. The conversation may be hard. But it may also open doors you didn’t expect. And for the sake of our immigrant neighbors, those are doors worth knocking on.
Does your county have a 287g agreement that encourages collaboration between ICE and your local sheriff? Click here to see where your county stands.
Even if a 287g agreement is not present, there still may be collaboration. The ACLU-WI reports, “From 2021 to 2024, 29 Wisconsin counties and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections received substantial SCAAP funding (State Criminal Alien Assistance Program - a federal grant program partially reimburses state and local governments for the costs of incarcerating certain non-citizens), totaling $7,258,617 from October 2020 through September 2024.”
After you have learned the status of your county, set up a meeting with or write a letter to your local sheriff to encourage them to either discontinue the agreement or encourage them to continue their stance of not signing on. This Talk to Your Sheriff Toolkit can provide you with sample text for letters, agendas, etc. and this PowerPoint also provides additional resources and information.
In May 2025, the WCC Executive Director and ten other religious leaders in Wisconsin sent a letter to the Wisconsin Sheriffs & Deputy Sheriffs Association regarding their roles in community safety, including the safety of our immigrant neighbors. The letter was transmitted via USPS and email, and we have neither received a response nor an acknowledgment of our correspondence.
If you are in contact with your sheriff’s office (even if you don’t receive a response), please let us know (wcoc@wichurches.org).
Written by Rev. R. Ellen Rasmussen, Pastor, Algoma Boulevard UMC, Oshkosh
