As Trump’s second term nears, Eagle County commissioners weigh new resolution supporting ‘all residents’

Before President Donald Trump was sworn into office the first time, the Eagle County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution “in support of all Eagle County residents.” It may be time to revisit that document.

With Trump poised to take the oath of office for a second time on Jan. 20, the commissioners are again looking at the resolution.

Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney, who was on the board at the time, said she and the other commissioners have been “hearing from a couple of people” asking if the board will do something similar this year.

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“We’re just beginning to talk about that,” McQueeney said this week, adding that the board will wait until at least Jan. 14 when new commissioner Tom Boyd is sworn into office.

McQueeney noted that the 2016 resolution is still in effect and that the commissioners have also spoken with Eagle County Sheriff James van Beek about the possible effects a new Trump administration might have on the valley’s immigrant community.

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“We’re hearing some concerns,” McQueeney said. And, she added, while she’s just one of three voices on the board, she said “it would be nice to alleviate (those) concerns.”

The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, along with the county’s other police departments and first responder agencies, also penned a letter during the first Trump administration encouraging anyone in trouble to call for help if they need it.

In a phone conversation this week, van Beek noted that there were some incidents during that time that prompted the joint letter. In one of those, a sexual assault case, a delay in calling 911 made it difficult to find a suspect in the case.

“That policy is still in place,” van Beek said.

“Immigration status is the least of our concern,” he added. “If they’re a victim, they’ll get the service (they need).”

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On the other hand, van Beek said an arrested suspect’s immigration status may warrant a call to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation.

Some of the statements made, by both Trump and Tom Homan, who the president-elect has put in charge of border security, “have been pretty harsh,” van Beek said.

Still, Trump hasn’t yet taken the oath of office, van Beek noted. And even during the first Trump term, immigration officials were infrequent visitors to county jail.

If the feds had someone of interest, they’d come, “but that wound down after a while,” van Beek noted.

Ultimately, van Beek said his office is bound to follow state law, which prohibits municipal and county law enforcement from performing immigration enforcement.

For immigrants, “Don’t hesitate to call,” van Beek said. If people think we’re concerned about their legal status, we don’t care.”

Local law enforcement and other first responders are “very much aligned” on that, van Beek said. While those agencies are discussing drafting a letter similar to the one issued a few years ago, he said, “We don’t even know what the legitimate concerns are, and if they don’t have the staff. … My focus is state law. We’re going to cooperate with our partners as much as we can.”

Ultimately, van Beek said, “If someone’s a victim, we’re going to take care of them.”