Beneath a graying sky that foreshadowed the hurricane to come, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd shrugged. He was referring to criticism that followed a string of tweets from his office Wednesday morning saying that anyone with an outstanding warrant would not be admitted to shelters during Hurricane Irma.
Though some of the tweets singled out sexual offenders and predators, others said all people with warrants would be better off turning themselves into a secure space of a different kind β jail.
It had also garnered more than 7, replies by early Thursday morning, largely from users chastising Judd for potentially endangering people with warrants as a Category 5 hurricane ripped through the Caribbean and beamed toward Florida. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Video footage from television channel FOX 13 showed Judd surprised that the policy had drawn national criticism. Judd was elected sheriff in Polk County in , having started in the office in as a dispatcher.
Polk County has an estimated population of more than ,, according to the U. Census Bureau. It was only weeks ago that another hurricane β this one bound for Texas β stoked fears about who would be allowed into emergency shelters. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said undocumented immigrants should not fear going to shelters. And in a joint statement, the U. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U. Horstman said undocumented immigrants would not be affected by the policy, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
She added that the rule will also help the county keep a log of who visits the shelters during the hurricane. The Sentinel quoted State Rep. Carlos Smith saying checking IDs of storm evacuees unfairly impacts undocumented immigrants. Local News Meridian Mayor Smith launches reelection campaign. Local News Jack declares candidacy for Meridian Mayor. Local News Meridian students showcase ideas in FlexFactor competition.
