More than 60% of people transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody from the Walker County Jail last year were arrested on charges of driving without a valid license, often following a traffic stop, data from the Sheriff’s Office shows.
Of the 120 arrests last year, 14 were charged with driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol, the second-most common charge. That accounted for 11% of arrests of people who were eventually transferred to ICE custody.
Three people were charged with family violence, one person was charged with aggravated assault, while another was charged with cruelty to children.
Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said he wasn’t surprised by the data and that few of the unregistered immigrants arrested in the county had committed violent offenses.
“Violent crimes are much less in Walker County than they are in some of the larger cities,” Wilson said by phone. “I think that’s a representation of the lifestyle we have here, and we enjoy a more peaceful setting than maybe a larger city.”