Thread: PA: ICE's new program working in Bucks/Montco!!!!!

Program helps locate jailed illegal aliens
TEXT SIZE Increase text size Decrease text size
By: CHRISTOPHER RUVO
The Intelligencer

Since starting in mid-December, the effort has identified nine who were held in Bucks and Montgomery counties.

A new federal program aimed at locating illegal immigrants in local jails has resulted in the discovery of nine criminal aliens in Bucks and Montgomery counties since going into effect less than a month ago, authorities said.

The Secure Communities program identified seven illegals incarcerated in Bucks County and two in Montgomery County since beginning on Dec. 15, said Mark Medvesky, spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit.

The non-U.S. citizens will be prosecuted for their alleged crimes here first before ICE begins possible deportation proceedings against them. If the person is bailed out of jail before trial, ICE will detain them, Medvesky said.

The Secure Communities program identified the illegals despite some preliminary kinks in getting the high-tech system up and running.

"We're just beginning to roll this program out," said Medvesky. "Over the next three and a half years we want to get every (jail) in the country tied into our database."

Bucks and Montgomery are among only 11 or so other sites across the nation where the Secure Communities program is in place to check the immigration history of every person booked into jails.

The program works by checking the fingerprints of a new inmate against a DHS computer database that holds immigration records.

If the person's fingerprints match those of a non-U.S. citizen, the computer program will automatically notify ICE to evaluate the case and see if the person is an illegal.
Advertisement Click Here!

The catch is that the alleged criminal alien will already have to be in the DHS system, the result of prior contact with immigration officials. Medvesky said. He said there's multiple ways such contact can occur.

"If they come to the country for a visit, a record is created and biometrics are kept. So if they decided to stay illegally we can see that," Medvesky said. "They could have requested citizenship and been denied or overstayed a work visa. They could be here illegally and have been arrested before and we'd potentially know about them."

In December, ICE discovered 16 illegals in Montgomery County Prison and 12 in Bucks, according to Medvesky. Those numbers include some of those identified through the Secure Communities program.

The others were uncovered as part of the Criminal Alien Program, which ICE has been running for years, Medvesky said. This consists of agents going to local jails and checking prison rolls in an effort to identify illegals.

By instituting both programs, ICE hopes to catch as many criminal aliens as possible.

"ICE as it stands now is only five years old," said Medvesky. "It's an organization that's maturing and developing more effective and efficient systems."

Christopher Ruvo can be reached at 215-345-3147 or cruvo@phillyburbs.com.

January 12, 2009 02:40 AM

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/t ... liens.html

ALIPACER's please leave comments of thanks at the source link, to the Bucks and Montco. Commissioners, and local law enforcement officials who were courageous enough to put the safety, health and welfare of their citizens above the special interests of criminal illegal aliens to remain in this country.

Done.