Lack of interagency cooperation leads to at least 10 immigrants set free in Mesa County

By GARY HARMON The Daily Sentinel

Friday, August 31, 2007

At least 10 illegal immigrants stopped in Mesa County this month were released because no room could be found in western Colorado to house them.

The action followed close on the heels of an operation that netted the arrests of 48 illegal immigrants and a decision by the federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement that it no longer would house illegal immigrants in the Garfield County Jail because it uses Tasers.

Failing to keep the immigrants in custody has state Rep. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, insisting on a meeting with Colorado State Patrol and ICE officials to determine what should happen next.

ICE officials didn’t return phone calls for comment Thursday.

The stop on Aug. 7 on Interstate 70 near Loma was carried out by a State Patrol unit trained to assist the federal agency in controlling illegal immigration, said Capt. Jon Barba, who heads the State Patrol’s division designated to deal with illegal immigration.

“I know it was more than 10,â€