October 4, 2007 - 8:51PM
ICE: Mesa cops must wait for immigration training
Annie Woods, For the Tribune
Some of Mesa’s city leaders want to revisit a failed proposal to allow local police to train with federal immigration officers so that they can more easily identify and apprehend illegal immigrants.

But officials with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement told the City Council at a meeting earlier this week that there is a waiting list to join the training program, known as 287(g).

At least 26 local law enforcement agencies across the U.S., including the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, already have signed agreements with ICE to participate in the training, according to the ICE’s web site www.ice.gov.

But cities which have tried to apply recently are being told that they will have to wait.

ICE spokesman Michael Peña told Mesa leaders he doesn’t believe the program is permanently closed, even though a lack of funding has stopped its immediate expansion.

Mayor Keno Hawker said he wants to know when U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement will have enough money to implement the program,

Hawker and Vice Mayor Claudia Walters said they were frustrated with the inaction of Congress to deal with the immigration issue and said it’s time to consider local action.

“To not have funding for this program doesn’t even make sense to me, so I think we need to add our voice to our Senate and Congress members about this issue,â€