On Wednesday night, Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett addressed a public comment from a resident regarding a purported U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in East Brainerd on Tuesday. Jessica Alexander, a Hamilton County resident, spoke during the public comment session of the commission meeting."We are seeing our neighbors and local business owners disappear... This is what we were witnessing as ICE agents are searching construction sites without a warrant. We are witnessing local police detain our neighbors on minor traffic violations, as judges dismiss these charges and release the detainees into ICE custody," said Jessica Alexander, a Hamilton County resident Wednesday night."Compliance with ICE extends their power and provides local infrastructure to support their local efforts. We are calling on you [commissioners] to find a creative voice resist this... You, as county commissioners, have control over whether or not to expand the sheriff's budget above current levels. Budget deliberations begin in March. We are asking you to reject any budget increase above what is legally required by state law for the sheriff's office, unless the 287 (g) contract is ended," Alexander shared.Local 3 News asked Sheriff Austin Garrett about the ICE operation that took place on Tuesday."All I know about it is the fact that there was an ICE operation here yesterday. There were task force members. There were a couple of Bradley County constables who were down here in Hamilton County working under the authority of ICE. We were not there. We were not involved in that program. I'm always glad to answer questions in front of the commission or to the public. Today was no different. There's a lot of emotion on both sides of this issue. It's understandable," said Sheriff Austin Garrett of Hamilton County to Local 3 News.Local 3 also asked the sheriff about the 287 (g) program and the role it plays in Hamilton County."We have always assisted federal partners, whether that be ICE, whether it be the FBI, or the DEA... Our involvement with ICE is the 287(g) Jail Model. That has importantly not started yet. It will start in about a week or two. To simplify it for everyone, it is simply conducting paperwork. So, while a defendant is in custody on state charges, if they're arrested for any type of state violation, state crime, they are in our custody, regardless of who arrested them in Hamilton County. I am the only person with a jail. While they're in our custody, we are completing paperwork on those defendants, which expedites their due process when they leave our custody. ICE is able to more efficiently determine where they need to go for due process in the immigration program," said Garrett.The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Homeland Security for the 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model in March of 2025. Garrett said that it will be operational at the beginning of March.Garrett told county commissioners and residents that his office operates in a fair and consistent manner across the board."When someone is arrested, it doesn't come into consideration who they are. It should not. They are treated fairly. When a person cannot identify themselves for a state law violation, they do not have a state-issued ID, and they cannot receive a citation. We have to take them into custody to have them fingerprinted and booked to prove their identity. On many occasions, a family member gets a hold of another family member's information, date of birth, and Social Security and they steal your identity. People being arrested, regardless of their nationality of this county, I treat them the same as any U.S. citizen. A U.S. citizen who cannot prove who they are is arrested for a crime, whether it's a misdemeanor or a felony. If they cannot prove who they are, they are arrested. They are transported to jail," said Garrett.Local 3 News is learning more information about the 287 (g) program and will update this article with more information. We reached out to ICE and visited Chattanooga's ICE office for comment on Tuesday's operation. We have not yet heard back.