City Passes Bill Limiting Deportations of Inmates

theepochtimes.com
By Ivan Pentchoukov
Epoch Times Staff
Created: Nov 3, 2011

NEW YORK—The City Council passed legislation on Nov. 3 that would limit the city's cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The city's Corrections department has been collaborating with ICE by providing inmates' immigration status information to federal agents. ICE then used the information to detain and deport illegal immigrant inmates; some were not charged with a crime and had no prior criminal records.

Under the new legislation, the city will end the practice of holding individuals for deportation by ICE who pose no threat to public safety.

"We are halting a practice that too often leads to the senseless deportation of people who pose no threat to our city," stated Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn in a press release.

The council voted 44 to 4, with 1 abstention, in favor of the legislation. Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito had been leading efforts to pass the measure since mid-August.

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