Editorial of February 5, 2026

Was Sheriff Devlin Simply Ahead of the Curve?

Otsego County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. has been at the center of controversy since AllOtsego first reported that Devlin’s office had entered into a 287(g) Warrant Service Officer agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an article published November 27. From that moment on, we have worked hard to unpack the specifics of the agreement, to represent the sheriff’s and the county’s positions, and to give voice to those both opposed to or in favor of the agreement.

The letters and opinion pieces we have received in the ensuing weeks and months have been almost universally against the 287(g) agreement in particular and the actions of ICE in general, culminating this past Saturday with a peaceful protest in Oneonta where the sheriff was booed by participants.

According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, “the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to delegate state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight. Likewise, Title 25 USC 2804(e) also allows federal agencies to enter into agreements with Indian tribes to carry out laws of the United States, such as immigration laws.”