Many Maricopa Co. Inmates In U.S. Illegally

POSTED: 5:47 pm MST April 8, 2010
UPDATED: 9:41 pm MST April 8, 2010

PHOENIX -- Sheriff Joe Arpaio talks a lot about being tough on illegal immigration.

CBS 5 obtained a report Thursday that shows many of the inmates locked up in Maricopa County are in this country illegally. Phoenix has been called the drop house capital of the world.

The report gives a snapshot of how many inmates, arrested on any given charge, also have what's called an immigration hold - or an ICE hold - on them. That means a detention officer has verified with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) they are here in the country illegally.

Whenever they get out of jail, they will be turned over to immigration authorities.

The sheriff's office report shows:

- 19 percent of the all the inmates in jail are illegal immigrants.

- Of the 460-some inmates jailed on first-degree murder charges, 63 of them, or about 14 percent, are here illegally.

- Of those jailed on kidnapping for ransom, 80 percent are here illegally.

- More than half (52 percent) of the inmates incarcerated for possession of narcotics for sale are here illegally.

- Half of those arrested on DUI charges are here illegally.


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