Feds want other states to copy Az's inmate deportation polic
Feds want other states to copy Az's inmate deportation policy
The Associated Press
Federal immigration officials want other states to copy an Arizona program that releases nonviolent illegal immigrants from state prisons early and deports them.
Arizona has turned over more than 1,400 state prisoners to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since the program began in 2005, saving $18.6 million, said Dora Schriro, director of the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Eligible inmates typically were convicted of crimes from drunken driving to lower-level drug charges. Inmates were released on average 210 days early.
Schriro said Arizona was the first state to team up with ICE under the Rapid Repatriation program to help state prison officials identify illegal immigrants when they are booked. Only New York has a similar program.
"It's a great program," ICE spokesman Vincent Picard said. "It keeps criminals off the streets of Arizona. It saves the state lots of money."
Statewide, more than 42,000 immigrants were deported in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Of those, 29 percent had criminal records. More than 21,000 immigrants had been deported through mid-March, including more than 5,600 who had criminal records.
Rapists and murderers do not qualify for early deportation, and only those who could be paroled are considered, said Julie Myers, assistant secretary of homeland security for ICE.
"For the worst of the worst, it's absolutely imperative to keep them off any streets," she said.
Under an Arizona law passed in 1996, inmates who served at least half of their sentences, weren't convicted of a violent or sexual offense, and agreed not to fight their removal from the country became eligible for early deportation.
If the deportee returns to the United States and is caught, the immigrant will serve the remainder of the original sentence and face up to 20 years in prison on charges of illegally re-entering the United States.
Myers said the federal government has approached all the other states and is close to inking agreements with "a handful" in the next few months. She said populous border states with overcrowded prisons are a priority.
Florida Sen. Mike Bennett said he plans to introduce a bill that would bring the program to his state.
"These people are going to be deported when they get done anyhow," Bennett said. "Why not speed the process and get them out of here?"
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio criticized early releases.
"Why are we giving these guys breaks?" he said. "Why don't they do the full time, just like a U.S. citizen?"
Illegal immigrants serving sentences in county jails aren't eligible for the early-release program.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/border/82607.php
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