Ed Gonzalez
{{Short description|American law enforcement officer and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| office1 = 30th Sheriff of Harris County
| term_start1 = January 1, 2017
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = Ron Hickman
| successor1 =
| office2 = {{unbulleted list|Member of the Houston City Council|from the H district}}
| term_start2 = June 14, 2009
| term_end2 = January 1, 2016
| predecessor2 = Adrian Garcia
| successor2 = Karla Cisneros
| birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.
| education = {{unbulleted list|University of Houston–Downtown (BS)|University of St. Thomas (MS)}}
| party = Democratic
}}
Ed Gonzalez is an American law enforcement officer and has served as the 30th sheriff of Harris County, Texas, since January 2017. Gonzalez was the nominee for director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement until he withdrew the nomination in June 2022.{{cite web | url=https://abc13.com/harris-county-sheriff-ed-gonzalez-withdraws-from-ice-nomination-accused-of-domestic-abuse/11999126/ | title=Harris Co. Sheriff ed Gonzalez withdraws ICE nomination | date=27 June 2022 }}
Early life and education
Gonzalez is a native of Houston, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston–Downtown and a Master of Science from the University of St. Thomas.
Career
Gonzalez worked as an officer in the Houston Police Department for 18 years. He was elected to the Houston City Council in 2009{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=580635|title = Our Campaigns - Houston City Council District H - Special Election Runoff Race - Jun 13, 2009}} and served until 2016. Representing District H, Gonzalez was also vice mayor pro tempore from 2010 to 2012.{{Cite web|title=Ed Gonzalez|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Ed_Gonzalez|access-date=2021-04-28|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}} Gonzalez assumed office as the 30th sheriff of Harris County, Texas, in January 2017.
=Immigration policy=
Gonzalez has been critical of former president Donald Trump's immigration policies.{{Cite news|last1=Sacchetti|first1=Maria|last2=Hernández|first2=Arelis R.|title=To lead ICE, Biden picks Texas sheriff who criticized Trump's immigration policies|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/ed-gonzalez-ice/2021/04/27/3c25c7c6-a785-11eb-bca5-048b2759a489_story.html|access-date=2021-04-28|issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite news|last=Kanno-Youngs|first=Zolan|date=2021-04-27|title=Biden to nominate Texas sheriff to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/us/biden-ICE-texas-sheriff.html|access-date=2021-04-28|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|date=2021-04-27|title=President Biden Announces Key Administration Nominations in National Security|url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/27/president-biden-announces-key-administration-nominations-in-national-security-2/|access-date=2021-04-28|website=The White House|language=en-US}} In 2017, Gonzalez ended a partnership with ICE—which his department had participated in since 2008—where ten specially-trained Harris County officers were assigned to determine the immigration status of suspects in the Harris County jail. The officers were re-deployed.{{cite news | last1 = James | first1 = Pinkerton| last2 = Barned-Smith | first2 = St. John | date = February 21, 2017 | title = Sheriff cuts ties with ICE program over immigrant detention | url = https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Sheriff-cuts-ties-with-ICE-program-over-immigrant-10949617.php | work = Houston Chronicle}}{{cite news | last = Hardy | first = Michael | date = May 1, 2021 | title = Ed Gonzalez Has Spent Years Fighting ICE. President Biden Just Nominated Him to Run the Agency. | url = https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/ed-gonzalez-ice-nomination/ | work = Texas Monthly}} That same year, Gonzalez opposed a proposed state law banning sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants, and requiring local officials to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. In 2018, Gonzalez criticized US immigration policy, saying "children should not be in immigration detention", and "I do not support #ICERaids that threaten to deport millions of undocumented immigrants". In 2019, Gonzalez barred his officers from participating in raids by ICE to detain and deport illegal immigrants.{{cite news | last = Giaritelli | first = Anna | date = Apr 29, 2021 | title = Biden ICE nominee Ed Gonzalez has history of denouncing agency he may soon be leading | url = https://gazette.com/news/biden-ice-nominee-ed-gonzalez-has-history-of-denouncing-agency-he-may-soon-be-leading/article_3eeece32-9450-5f9c-88fb-24fd40d48902.html | work = Colorado Springs Gazette}}
=Bail=
In 2017, Gonzalez testified against Harris County in federal court, saying "When most of the people in my jail are there because they can't afford to bond out, and when those people are disproportionately Black and Hispanic, that's not a rational system". At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gonzales proposed that bail be waived "for many of the eight thousand inmates in the Harris County jail".
=Gun legislation=
In 2021, Gonzalez opposed a constitutional carry gun bill which would allow Texans to carry guns without permits.{{cite news | last = Wallace | first = Jeremy | date = April 28, 2021 | title = Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez blasts 'constitutional carry' bill as it flounders in Texas Senate | url = https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Harris-County-Sheriff-Ed-Gonzalez-blasts-16133880.php | work = Houston Chronicle}}
=Nomination to director of ICE=
In 2021, Gonzalez was nominated to be director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After he was nominated, allegations of domestic abuse by his wife came to light in a 2021 police affidavit report.{{cite web|title=Exhibit 1|url=https://www.lankford.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Affidvit%20-%20Gonzalez%20-%20SDTX-4-21-cv-02216-26-1.pdf}} Both Gonzalez and his wife denied that any such incident had occurred.{{cite news|title=White House tries to avoid a Raskin repeat as ICE pick teeters in Senate|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/16/white-house-ice-nominee-ed-gonzalez-00017547}} After it became clear that the nomination was doomed due to multiple Democratic senators remaining undecided on the nomination, Gonzalez withdrew himself from consideration, stating that he would continue to serve as Harris County sheriff.{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/27/bidens-ice-withdraws-nomination-00042681|title=Biden's pick for ICE director withdraws nomination}}