http://nctimes.com/articles/2006/05/..._415_17_06.txt


Horn proposes jail screening for illegal immigrants

By: GIG CONAUGHTON - Staff Writer

NORTH COUNTY ---- Supervisor Bill Horn said recently that he has asked the San Diego County Sheriff's Department to consider screening prisoners to determine if they are illegal immigrants who should be deported.

The department has discouraged the idea, Horn and sheriff's officials said.

"I want to be nice to the sheriff," Horn said in an interview with North County Times editors last week. "But he hasn't let me go there (to the screening issue), and I've requested it for the last couple of years."


Sheriff's deputies do not routinely screen prisoners to determine if they are legal residents.

Capt. Glen Revell, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department, said Monday that Sheriff Bill Kolender was interested in the idea, but that Kolender worried about incurring costs for doing the work of federal immigration officials ---- without being reimbursed by the federal government.

Sheriff's officials also said Monday that they believe the percentages of illegal immigrants in San Diego County jails is small, perhaps between 3 percent and 4 percent of the more than 5,100 inmates ---- although Horn representatives say they think that figure is much higher.

"He's not slamming the door on Supervisor Horn," Revell said. "He's just not sure, looking at the numbers, if it pencils out (in costs)."

Last month, Riverside County supervisors voted to train 10 sheriff's deputies to identify illegal immigrants in their county jails, following the lead of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

And last week, San Diego County supervisors, at Horn's recommendation, directed their chief administrative officer to look at how much it would cost to do a study detailing how much illegal immigrants cost San Diego County taxpayers.

Horn and other supervisors said such a study would help the county push federal officials to reimburse the county and its taxpayers for money spent on illegal immigrants in county jails, and on health and social services.

Horn said he had been thinking about the study idea since January, when he was trying to collect statistics on what illegal immigration costs for the annual "State of the County" address.

Last week, Horn told the editors that he had asked Kolender to consider having detention deputies screen for illegal immigrants in jail.

Horn said he had wanted to ask the rest of the county board to approve such a move last September. His office sent a letter with a draft agenda item to the Sheriff's Department for its approval before the meeting.

The proposal suggested that sheriff's deputies be "cross-deputized" as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, allowing them to interview inmates about their citizenship. The proposal also suggested that federal officials could be posted at county jails.

Horn's proposal said that enforcing federal immigration laws inside the jails would ensure that criminal illegal immigrants were deported.

Sheriff's officials sent a letter back to Horn that prompted him to drop the draft agenda request.

The letter, signed by sheriff's Cmdr. Ken Culver of the department's detention support division, said that San Bernardino County estimated that as many as 15 percent of its inmates were illegal immigrants.

But Culver said those estimates did not appear to be supported by hard facts, and that "spot-checks" in San Diego County jails suggested the figure here was between 3 percent and 3.7 percent.

On Monday, Capt. Revell said that if the numbers are that small, it could be a waste of county taxpayer money to hire deputies to conduct interviews and identify illegal immigrants.

"Because no federal dollars come with it," Revell said. "And how much money are you willing to spend to deal with 3 percent to 4 percent of the jail population? That's really the sheriff's concern in being a good steward of public monies."

Horn aides, however, said they believe the sheriff's "spot-check" percentages are much too low.

They said that Horn believes the percentage of illegal immigrants in county jails is much more likely to be near San Bernardino's 15 percent estimate.

County jail records from 2005 reported that 38 percent of all prisoners were Latinos. Whites accounted for 36 percent of prisoners. Blacks were 21 percent of prisoners.

In his interview last week, Horn also said that he would like sheriff's patrol deputies ---- outside of county jails ---- to conduct illegal immigration screening as well.

"Let's say they get somebody speeding and find out there are two illegals in the car," Horn said. "They should be arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as far as I'm concerned."

Contact staff writer Gig Conaughton at (760) 739-6696 or gconaughton@nctimes.com.

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Comments On This Story

Note: Comments reflect the views of readers and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff.
O-G wrote on May 18, 2006 12:28 AM:"So - now Horn would like everyone who is in a car with anyone who may have comitted a minor infration to be forced to identify themself? Heck - if we would also screen passangers at those "DUI" checkpoints we could get even more bang for our buck. Vote this dictator out! "

FROWISS wrote on May 18, 2006 6:05 AM:"Horn always has such timely ideas every fourth year, election season. Horn's conservative, no doubt, but he's arrogant, pompous and is ethically challenged. And apparently not too smart, considering that he believes the Form 700 Financial Conflict of Interest Disclosure for all public officials, same one required for hundreds of volunteer community planning group members, is too complicated to understand without engaging San Francisco lawyers, and causing him to change his stories about the house deal for his chief of staff several times. And why won't he release bank record proof of these "rent" transactions while people are voting? "

Rudy wrote on May 18, 2006 6:13 AM:"After 12 years in office, it's wonderful that Horn is finally thinking about illegal immigration on the county level...just days before his next election. Gee, I wonder what his attitude will be on June 7th."

RH wrote on May 18, 2006 7:12 AM:"At least he's trying to do something while kolander sits on his hands. Sometimes Chief you just have to do your job. 4 per cent, that's 200 people. put them on a couple of busses and sent them back. in the mean time our tax dollars pay for their free room and board. By not having to feed them and guard them it might just balance out. either way we have had enough."

Kim wrote on May 18, 2006 7:23 AM:"I agree Rh, but instead of just hoping to balance out, what the state should do is bill the federal government who in turn would reduce the money that we "the tax payers" send to Mexico each month. Start taking away the aid we provide Mexico and I bet Mr. Fox would start paying attention to his boarders! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"

El Jefe wrote on May 18, 2006 8:11 AM:"Nobody goes to jail for just a minor infraction. Generally, people in jail are there for something a little more serious than just a traffic ticket. RH is on the right track about considering the offsetting savings in deporting illegals versus feeding them on our nickle."

mt wrote on May 18, 2006 8:18 AM:"More grandstanding by Horn. After 12 years, he wants to start addressing issues. Let's start with the cost of his 50% increase in his retirement benefit."

Robert wrote on May 18, 2006 8:36 AM:"First I am completely amazed that the citizenship of prisoners is unknown. This makes the sheriff’s department look like a bunch of flatfoot gumshoes, instead of a bona-fide law enforcement agency. Amazing! I do not think that deportation is a viable option, though, until we can be reasonably assured that our current revolving-door border is closed. In any plan to address this issue closing the border must be, has to be the first step. If we offend the sensibilities of the Mexican government- tough! If their VIPs were so sensitive, they would do something to help their poor people. Instead, they have created (or permit to continue) living conditions that their people prefer risking death crossing the border to living in Mexico. These people are acting in desperation- does that tell you something about what life is like in the country that lies to our South? For now, better to keep them locked up. But keep track of expenses so that we can send a bill to the Mexican government. Maybe charge Mr. Fox’s personal VISA account. "

wyatt wrote on May 18, 2006 9:32 AM:"Time for a new sherrif. Ruff might be our huckleberry!"

Inquiring Mind wrote on May 18, 2006 9:43 AM:"Horn's up for election. If he gets two other supervisors to agree with his position, there might be actual change. Ask Slater-Price, or Jacobs to vote along with him, and then there is fiscal control over Kolender/Sheriff's Dept. The Deputy Sheriff's Assoc. endorses and supports Slater-Price, along with other supervisors. So what gives? The art of compromise is lacking? Or is this simply more election year grandstanding? Where's the DSA on this issue? Perhaps the reporter could ask them?"

SATURN wrote on May 18, 2006 10:07 AM:"Of course do immigration/background checks is the suspicion warrants. This should have been implemented long ago. But then again, Sheriff Kolendar is too little, too late. Kolendar is not pro actively seeking to protect area residents from the dangerous illegal aliens coming up from Mexico. He basically 'stood down' at the recent RIOTS IN VISTA in which illegal alien protesters/mobs threw rocks and bottles at his deputies, smashed their vehicles, etc., and not ONE ARREST WAS MADE! Can you believe that? We need a NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN and his name is Bruce Ruff. Let's vote Kolendar off the Island and vote RUFF, who WILL get tough, as our new SHERIFF."

Screen everyone: wrote on May 18, 2006 10:38 AM:"If you got nothin to hide, what's the problem? Just a few check points here and there."

US Citizen in Townsite wrote on May 18, 2006 10:58 AM:"Let me see if I get this right..The San Diego Sheriff's Dept is saying that officers do not screen for immigration status when a suspect is arrested? Sounds like a sanctuary policy to me.. which is exactly what the LAPD is being sued for by Judicial Watch. Any policy which restricts a police dept's ability in any way to inform ICE about a person's immigration status is against both CA law and Federal Law. "

Robert wrote on May 18, 2006 11:43 AM:"To Inquiring Mind, Kolender and Horn are on the same team. This is just an election stunt by Horn. But wishful thinking!"

Patrick wrote on May 18, 2006 11:46 AM:"Horn has the federal law confused with state laws again... doesn't he know the BORDER PATROL is in charge of deportation, not the sheriff's dept. Horn should be doing something more if he truly is concerned. He could start by pushing for prosecution of all big contractors (the fat cats that contribute to his campaign) that continually hire these illegals for cheap labor. Horn is always looking out for himself instead!"

Stephen, wrote on May 18, 2006 12:22 PM:"Bill Horn, "YOU'RE FIRED!!!""

Stephen wrote on May 18, 2006 12:26 PM:"Bruce Thompson, "YOU'RE HIRED!!!""

O-G wrote on May 18, 2006 1:10 PM:"To "Screen Everyone" What the heck, I was not using my civil liberties anyway. "

Robert wrote on May 18, 2006 2:15 PM:"I have to take back what I said earlier. I don't know if this is a Bill Horn election stunt. I'm in a wonder why Horn is going after one of his top supporters/endorsements just days before the election of both individuals. Horn has listed Kolender as one of his top three endorsements. I'm no political analyst but it seems this article hurts both men. "