Racine Sun

The Racine County Sheriff's Office has declared that it will still carry out eviction orders if called on for an eviction despite federal extension of the eviction moratoriums.

Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extending the moratorium until the beginning of October, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, has declared it will ignore orders by “unelected” officials and continue to carry out eviction orders, Journal Times reported.

Multiple officials and politicians in Racine have urged the department to reconsider and to think about the safety and health dangers of evicting residents during an uptick in COVID, according to Journal Times.

"As elected officials, we all took the same oaths to uphold the same laws," Racine Mayor Cory Mason wrote in an Aug. 7 Facebook post. "The Racine County Sheriff does not get to pick and choose the laws he wishes to uphold. We urge and expect him to uphold the federal eviction moratorium as long as it’s in effect." 

The sheriff’s department previously caused political tension by claiming it would not aid in shutting down businesses that violated mask policies.

The CDC's order for an extension came after the previous federal moratorium expired without being extended by Congress. The order imposes criminal penalties which include at least one year in jail and a $100,000 fine on those who violate the moratorium and carry out evictions.