Thread: FL: ICE partnership is paying 2 ways for local taxpayers

Editorial: Collier County Sheriff's Office
ICE partnership is paying 2 ways for local taxpayers
Daily News staff
5:05 p.m., Saturday, February 23, 2008

It always sounded good. It always made sense that federal law-enforcement agencies should share illegal immigration and other crime data with local agencies, and vice versa.

As soon as Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter brought to light after Sept. 11 that a huge gap existed, meaning that local deputies would not know they had arrested an illegal wanted by federal agents, who in turn would not know their target was in custody, we have supported his efforts to bring some sense to that.

Hunter has stayed the course — even bringing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials into the county jail.

Now, Hunter is rightly pleased to report his efforts are paying off. Since June 1, when the ICE/Collier County Sheriff’s Office joint venture officially started, no fewer than 359 illegal immigrants have been taken from the jail and handed over to ICE for deportation proceedings.

Compare that to the year before, when 93 illegals made the same move from the jail to ICE.

Also, officials report, there are more than 170 illegal immigrants in the county jail now who will be handed over to ICE after they serve their sentences.

Terrific. It’s justice in action. It gets lawbreakers off the street. Hunter credits the weeding effort for a countywide decline in crime.

It gets lawbreakers off the backs of local taxpayers who foot the bill for their daily keep and more jail cells. Hunter puts the price of jailing illegals at $9 million per year.

Still, the approval rate is short of unanimous. Advocates for migrant workers say the CCSO/ICE partnership frightens otherwise law-abiding illegals from asking for help or reporting crimes for fear they, too, would be deported. They also fear profiling.

The Sheriff’s Office says that is not the case and those fears are unfounded.

It takes time to earn and build trust.

Meanwhile, Hunter clearly is on the right side of this cause for national concern. He is not content to finger-point or wait for other layers of government to act.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/feb ... fs-office/

Still, the approval rate is short of unanimous. Advocates for migrant workers say the CCSO/ICE partnership frightens otherwise law-abiding illegals from asking for help or reporting crimes for fear they, too, would be deported. They also fear profiling.

Law-abiding illegals?!?!?! Oh my goodness, I've heard it all now LOL.

I am a serial killer, but an otherwise law-abiding citizen. Now--my dark humor will be picked up by some fool like Mike King of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He will argue that the IAs are committing a civil not a criminal violation.
Oh yeah, I am a jewel thief also, but otherwise--law abiding.

I cannot believe these supposed "Americans". What fools.

I guess even Hitler had his apologists.