Kaufman County Sheriff鈥檚 Office Detaining 40 Inmates Under Active ICE Holds
As of January 4, the Kaufman County Sheriff鈥檚 Office is holding 40 inmates with active INS holds inside the county jail.
What is an INS hold? It means that once the state criminal charges are finalized, whether through dismissal, plea bargain, or trial, the federal government will take custody of the inmate to begin immigration proceedings, which can include deportation. The hold does not replace state charges. It takes effect after them.
Every inmate on this list was arrested locally for alleged crimes committed in Kaufman County or nearby cities. None were booked on immigration violations alone. Each case began with a state or local arrest.
The ages of the inmates range from 19 to 69, with an average age of just over 37. All 40 inmates are male.
The charges are not limited to minor offenses. Forgery of financial instruments is one of the most common charges on the list, appearing four times. Driving while intoxicated also appears four times, including cases involving open containers and blood alcohol levels of 0.15 or higher. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon appears four times as well.
Other charges include burglary of a habitation, evading arrest with a vehicle, possession of controlled substances, engaging in organized criminal activity, and possession of prohibited items inside a correctional facility. Several of these offenses carry the possibility of significant prison sentences under Texas law.
More than half of the inmates, 21 out of 40, were arrested by the Kaufman County Sheriff鈥檚 Office. The remaining arrests were made by the Forney Police Department, Terrell Police Department, Kaufman Police Department, Crandall Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and local constables. In most cases, the arrests stemmed from routine law enforcement activity such as traffic stops, patrol encounters, and criminal investigations.
The INS hold is applied after an inmate is booked on state charges. In practical terms, this means that even if a judge sets bond or a sentence is completed, the inmate is not released back into the community. Federal immigration authorities are notified and assume custody once the state process ends.
Supporters of aggressive deportation often argue that immigration enforcement should follow criminal enforcement, not precede it. This list reflects that sequence. Every individual was already in jail on state charges before an INS hold was placed.
The data also highlights a cost issue for Kaufman County taxpayers. Housing inmates requires county funding for staffing, medical care, food, and security. When inmates remain in custody while awaiting transfer to federal authorities, those costs continue until Immigration and Customs Enforcement takes custody.
For local residents, the list raises broader public safety questions. The most common charges, including DWI, aggravated assault, burglary, and forgery, are the same offenses that frequently generate concern at city council meetings and in neighborhood discussions.
The inmate roster changes regularly, but the pattern remains consistent. Local arrests lead to state charges. State charges lead to jail time. In some cases, jail time leads directly into federal custody.
The INS hold list is not an abstract policy debate. It is a snapshot of how local crime, local policing, and federal immigration enforcement intersect inside the Kaufman County jail, one case at a time.
