Thread: CA sheriff funnels 7,000 criminal IA`s back to home countrys

4:45 p.m.: San Bernardino Sheriff's program helped funnel 7,000 immigrant criminals back to their home counties in the past two years
By Stacia Glenn, staff writer
Article Created: 07/20/2008 04:46:07 PM PDT


More than 7,000 illegal immigrant criminals have been funneled from San Bernardino County jails back to their home countries in the past two years, sheriff's statistics show.
Before the federal program was implemented in 2006 at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, there was little chance that jailed illegal immigrants would be deported.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials simply didn't have the ability to reach into jails nationwide and scoop out all those who didn't belong in the country.

That has changed with seven San Bernardino County sheriff's employees working full-time to screen for illegal immigrants and expedite their deportations.

"It makes for a safer community for all," said sheriff's Lt. Dennis Shaffer, who oversees the program. "The majority of the ones deported are serious offenders."

A third of the illegal immigrants deported since January 2006 were convicted of violent crimes such as domestic violence, lewd acts upon a child or assault with a deadly weapon.

Most of the remainder were convicted of drug violations, driving under the influence and burglary.

Only 116 crimes out of 4,322 were for having false citizenship or residency documents, according to sheriff's statistics.

"This is getting them out of the country so they're hopefully not going to come back and commit the same crime," Shaffer said.

If convicted of a crime, illegal immigrants serve their time at West Valley before ICE officials escort them back

to their own country.
The program has become popular with elected officials whose constituents demand tougher policies on illegal immigration.

Since 2005, the number of law-enforcement agencies participating in the program has skyrocketed from four to 55.

ICE has funded four-week training in immigration law, case law and processing procedures to certify 765 officers nationwide in the program.

The Sheriff's Department has two more employees who are on a waiting list to receive the training in Los Angeles. They would join the seven that have already been trained.

The program is credited for identifying more than 60,000 people in jails suspected of being in the country illegally.

Most suspects (3,027) interviewed in West Valley originate from Mexico, sheriff's statistics show.

The next highest number of people interviewed (306) were actually U.S. citizens.

"If we're going to deport people who are in this country illegally, what better place to start than in the jails?" asked ICE spokesman Tim Counts.

Each person booked at West Valley must fill out a form that indicates their country of origin and whether they are a U.S. citizen, which is how employees determine whom to interview.

Last year, seven percent of the 58,114 people booked at West Valley were interviewed under the program. Nearly 60 percent of those were detained by ICE.

In 2005, before the program was in place, ICE detained less than 1 percent of the 61,566 people booked at West Valley.

And jail officials are hoping to keep boosting the numbers with two-way video cameras that are being installed at other jails.

"I think we could have a 10 or 15 percent increase if we could get the funding and manpower to be a 24/7 program," Shaffer said

. The county Board of Supervisors recently approved spending $60,000 on two-way cameras to be installed at jails in Morongo, Barstow, Victorville and at another, undecided location.

Officials will then be able to screen and interview possible illegal immigrants at those jails.

"The benefits are obvious," said ICE Assistant Field Office Director Eric Saldana.

stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com


http://www.dailybulletin.com/breakingnews/ci_9942774

And you REALLLLLY think the prisioners are gonna tell the truth?!?!?!

Just what I was thinking - Be truthful now - illegal prisoners

With numbers like these, how can Bush or anybody say 'illegals are doing jobs Americans won't do"???? For Americans, it doesn't matter how many illegals are "good." The other stats of those that are criminal is all we need to know. DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS NOW!!!!!!!