http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=19487

Beck meets with federal officials on immigration issue
By GREG SOWINSKI
419-993-2090
11/10/2005
gsowinski@limanews.com

CLEVELAND – Sheriff Dan Beck wants other sheriffs across the state to join him in forming task forces to target illegal immigrants and anyone who exploits them.

Beck was in Cleveland on Wednesday meeting with officials from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to ask for their help. Agency officials have pledge help, mostly with helping to educate officers, Beck said.

Beck said he learned that he can send deputies to a five-week training course that will allow them to be deputized as federal immigration agents. Beck plans to have two deputies complete the training, he said.

Having officers deputized with federal powers also will give them more powers such as tar-geting businesses that exploit illegal immigrants, he said.

Three weeks ago, Beck spoke with about 20 other sheriffs in Ohio at a meeting of the Buck-eye State Sheriff’s Association to explain Allen County’s problems with illegal immigrants, which was highlighted after a child molester fled to Lima during the summer.

Many of the sheriffs at the meeting expressed concerns about the illegal immigration prob-lem. Beck said he plans to push for task forces to be created across the state that various police agencies join to pool resources.

The task forces can tackle problems associated with illegal immigration such as false identifi-cation, he said. The Sheriff’s Association has planned two days of training in May on the topic, he said.

“With the regional concept we can come knocking on your door regardless of where they are,� Beck said.

Beck said he was thrilled by the support officials with the agency offered and their willing-ness to help educate people on the topic, he said.

In Allen County, Beck also wants to help educate business and industry leaders on how to recognize false forms of identification to stop illegal immigrants from working in the commu-nity, he said.

Beck also wants to target employment agencies that shuffle illegal immigrants to different companies in different cities each day to avoid detection. The construction trade and agricul-ture are the two fields in which illegal immigrants are most exploited, Beck said.