Posted: Jan 19, 2009 08:25 PM EST

Updated: Jan 19, 2009 08:54 PM EST



Every year thousands of people are booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

In the past it was difficult to know who was here illegally but now a new program is changing that.

"This program allows us to identify these people and see who we are dealing with,"

says Lt. Rich forbus.

He helps run 287 (g) at the Clark County Detention Center.

It's a partnership between the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and Metro.

The new program helps find illegals in the system.

Metro Officers learn a person's immigration status through a special federal database..

The program has been a little over 8 weeks and so far about 300 high level offenders have been identified.

Officers have found another 1,700 low level offenders who are here illegally.

Once the criminals have been identified the information is handed over to I.C.E. and this allows immigration agents to start the deportation process.

http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9699002