19 area lawmen begin immigration training
BY MICHELLE BRADFORD

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2007
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/199220/

TULSA — Northwest Arkansas police and deputies training this week to enforce immigration law are part of a group of 111 officers who will augment the federal 287 (g ) program, an immigration official said Tuesday.

Julie Myers, an assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security, said the officers, including 19 from Northwest Arkansas, began five weeks of training Tuesday in Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Florida. Upon completion, they’ll join 316 officers in 12 states who operate 26 similar programs.

The program lets local law enforcement investigate and deport illegal aliens under the supervision of U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It’s authorized under a 1996 section of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“Thank you for taking on this responsibility,â€