By Associated Press - Friday, September 20, 2019

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A Virginia sheriff has ended an agreement with federal authorities to lock up people suspected of being in the United States illegally.

The Virginian-Pilot reports Norfolk Sheriff Joe Baron has for two years jailed detainees for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in exchange for federal money. The detainees were typically held for a couple of days before being transferred to a long-term detention facility.

The contract rider with ICE ended on Tuesday, and Baron decided not to sign a new one. He declined to discuss the decision in an interview.

People were interested in these podcasts

The sheriff has come under some criticism for the policy since the newspaper began reporting about it.

Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.