Questions over whether ICE tried to interview alleged Pelosi attacker at San Francisco jail

SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Sheriff's Department on Thursday confirmed that someone who claimed to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee tried to gain access to David DePape, the man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi in his home with a hammer.

Jail officials turned him away after failing to provide proof that he worked for the federal agency.

Sheriff's Department spokesperson Tara Moriarty confirmed details of the incident to KTVU. She said a man showed up at one of the county’s jails on October 31 and said he was an ICE employee and asked to speak with DePape.

The Sheriff's department says the man presented a business card, but did not provide the appropriate identification or credentials, like a government ID, to prove his connection to ICE. As a result, sheriff's department employees denied him access to the jail.

Fox News previously reported that an ICE employee was prevented from interviewing DePape, but the sheriff's office said that wasn't the case as the person was turned away for not having any government credentials.

ICE has lodged a formal immigration detainer for DePape, a Canadian citizen who entered the US in 2008.

As for whether the sheriff's office will cooperate with ICE to alert them of DePape's release date, the department said, "The Sheriff reviews ICE requests on a case-by-case basis to determine whether informing ICE of Mr. DePape’s release date, if any, is consistent with our local sanctuary city ordinances. The Sheriff will evaluate all information, up to the time of any release date, before making that decision."