McDonnell presses feds for state immigration-enforcement authority

By Paige Winfield Cunningham
The Washington Times
5:18 p.m., Friday, June 10, 2011

Gov. Bob McDonnell said Friday the federal government is taking too long to decide whether some Virginia police officers should be authorized to deport illegal immigrants.

Last August, the governor asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to allow a group of 28 select officers to deport illegal immigrants who have engaged in terrorism, committed major drug and gang offenses, committed violent crimes like murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and kidnapping, or found driving while intoxicated.

On Friday, he released a letter he sent last month to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, petitioning for speedy approval.

“We have patiently waited nine months for formal approval and the time to act is now,â€