City wants to alter jail-screening deal with ICE
By SUSAN CARROLL Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Aug. 5, 2009, 9:34PM


The city of Houston is trying to persuade federal immigration officials to change a proposed jail screening agreement in order to allow jailers to target only suspected illegal immigrants with serious criminal records for deportation, the city attorney said.

Arturo Michel, the city attorney, said the city and Houston police are lobbying Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to modify the national template for the federal government's controversial 287(g) program, which trains local law enforcement to identify suspected illegal immigrants.

City and police officials have been negotiating changes to the program since last month, when ICE approved Houston's request to train its jailers through 287(g).

The city wants to write in specific instructions for HPD jailers to turn over to ICE only suspected illegal immigrants with “seriousâ€