ICYMI: Op-Ed: Sanctuary Sheriff Graziano’s Virtue Signaling Endangers Charleston

Sheriff Kristin Graziano isn’t prioritizing our safety; she’s focused on political posturing, lying, and virtue signaling.

Just look at her Twitter profile—a photo of her proudly posing alongside leaders of the pro-open-border administration driving the worst border crisis our country has ever seen. Instead of addressing our safety, she’s busy aligning herself with leftwing extremists who encourage chaos at our borders, all while violent crime surges in our own backyard.

Under Sanctuary Sheriff Graziano, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office has repeatedly defied U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), refusing to provide adequate hold time or notification for illegal aliens in custody before releasing them. In light of this outrageous discovery, I requested all communications from the Sheriff’s Office related to ICE detainers, criminal charges, and the termination of the 287(g) agreement. 

Rather than comply, Sheriff Graziano’s office has chosen to treat this as a FOIA request—a transparent delay tactic, since this is not a FOIA request. Charleston residents deserve to know if their sanctuary sheriff is truly committed to public safety or if she’s prioritizing a far-left agenda over our community’s safety and well-being.

With the election on November 5, she’s stalling, hoping we won’t see what’s really happening. 

Her latest excuse? She claims a judge’s order is required to honor ICE detainers. But the truth is, no judge even has the authority to approve or deny these detainers. Graziano concocted this “policy” as a shield, an invented rule designed to protect her political image while putting us all at risk.

And the fallout from this approach is staggering—not because it’s rational, but because it’s an unhinged policy rooted in feelings, just like left-wing extremists often do, prioritizing optics over our safety. Just recently, a criminal illegal alien arrested twice for attempting to pay to have sex with a child was allowed back on our streets because Graziano ignored ICE’s detainer request. 

Thankfully, ICE caught him after his release, but why were we even put in this position? We shouldn’t be wondering if our sheriff will do her job or let predators walk freely among us. And this is not an isolated case. By her own admission, she has released 51 criminals—yes, including a pedophile—under her “sanctuary” policy.

Make no mistake: Graziano’s failure to cooperate is calculated. Graziano’s office is stonewalling, dodging our inquiry, and trying to keep us in the dark until after election day. When a drunk driver killed a Folly Beach bride, she ignored FOIA laws and refused to provide answers. Now, she’s evading accountability on her detainer practices, hoping we won’t notice before November 5.

We deserve better than a sanctuary sheriff who’s more interested in lying and virtue-signaling than keeping Charleston safe. Violent crime is up—aggravated assaults are rising, murders are climbing, and robberies are out of control. But Sanctuary Sheriff Graziano would rather cling to her sanctuary “principles” and lie when she says crime is down rather than face the reality we’re dealing with today. How many lives is she willing to risk to protect her narrative of shielding criminal illegal aliens?

Sanctuary Sheriff Graziano, it’s time to put Charleston first. We will call you out about your political football, we will continue to ask for the documents, and we will continue to stand up for the residents of Charleston County.

As seen on FITSNews