In Frederick County, Jenkins has remained an unabashed and steadfast partner to ICE.
A Republican elected as sheriff in 2006, he signed on to the 287(g) program two years later and quickly gained prominence as a vocal critic of U.S. immigration policy. At a raucous 2009 rally dubbed “Take America Back,” Jenkins declared before a cheering crowd, “If they’re not in this country legally, you have to go.”
He has regularly worked with FAIR, speaking at events, participating in messaging campaigns and doing interviews with the news media, according to email exchanges obtained from the sheriff’s department by The Post through a public records request.
He also provided FAIR with information about people the group suspected may have been in the country illegally, the emails show.
In April 2016, Susan Tully, the national field director at FAIR, emailed Jenkins about two Maryland men charged with kidnapping and rape. “Can you find out if these people were here illegally, were they unaccompanied minors, anything???” she wrote.
The sheriff responded three minutes later: “I’ll see what I can find out and let you know.”
Ten days later, Jenkins wrote again. “Susan, found out they are illegals, however, no previous encounters with ICE…Gang affiliations unknown right now.”
In 2017, Jenkins emailed Tully about two 14-year-old undocumented immigrants jailed on murder and assault charges who were alleged members of the MS-13 gang.
Tully responded: “Can I share this information or not?”
“Hell yes,” Jenkins replied. “They’re in my jail.”
When Jenkins was reelected sheriff in 2018, Dane, FAIR’s executive director sent a congratulatory email, writing, “You’re one of the those true heroes who are willing to run toward the fire.”
The sheriff responded: “Thanks my friend, feel like Custer at the Big Horn some days.”
Jenkins also exchanged emails with John Zadrozny, a staff member of the White House Domestic Policy Council under Trump who went on to become a top official at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
In one email, Jenkins referred to a visit by Trump’s senior policy staff to the detention center in Frederick County; in another, he offered arguments supporting Trump’s bid to end protections for those known as “dreamers,” undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States when they were children.
“I say rip the band aid off and...market this through the prism of public safety,” he wrote.
In a third email, Jenkins said he had been invited to Camp David to meet with “POTUS for a courtesy photo op.”
“It would be nice upon meeting if he knew my strong national profile on enforcing immigration laws,” Jenkins wrote.
Neither Tully nor Zadrozny responded to a request for comment.
In an interview, Jenkins said he has regularly communicated with different groups and constituents, including those who share his views on immigration. He added that he supports FAIR’s mission.
“I am very comfortable working with that group,” he said. “I make no secret about it whatsoever...I am not different than any other elected official who has a belief or an ideology, a strong one,” he said. “... I know who I am. I’m comfortable in my beliefs and decisions.”
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