NC study: 1 in 5 jail inmates foreign born
NC study: 1 in 5 jail inmates foreign born
02/19/2008 04:42 PM
By: Tim Boyum
RALEIGH -- A new study shows one in five inmates in North Carolina metropolitan jails was not born in this country.
The Sheriffs's Association believes a large number of those inmates are here illegally as well. At the same time, some counties are starting a new program that can lead to quicker deportation.
In the past, local law enforcement was given no authority to enforce immigration laws but that is changing. Mecklenburg, Alamance, Gaston, and Cabarrus counties are taking part in a program called 287g. It gives specially trained deputies the authority to process illegal immigrants who commit crimes.
"I think there's a lot of people including me who don't want police inquiring about the immigration status of everyone they come into contact with but when someone's accused of a serious crime you expect things to be a little different," U.S. Rep. Brad Miller (D-13th) said.
In the past, local law enforcement was given no authority to enforce immigration laws but that is changing.
State lawmakers also heard about efforts to help jails get information on incoming inmates who might be illegal. Right now jails can access FBI or SBI files with a phone call but the same is not true for U.S. immigration enforcement (ICE) files.
"So there could be folks wanted for very serious offenses in the ice database that come into the Wake County jail, the Hertford County jail, or Cherokee County jail and get processed and it comes back no record in file because the SBI file can't jump across and talk to the ICE database," NC Sheriff's Association Eddie Caldwell said.
While law enforcement generally applauds these new immigration programs, not all lawmakers are on board.
"You know this is a hot topic today in politics and everyone is talking about it but people are not really looking at really complex issues in the detail they should," added Sen. Ellie Kinnaird (D-Orange).
Sen. Kinnaird believe the state legislature and counties should not be involved in immigration issues and blames the federal government.
"I think when they failed to pass a fair immigration law this was their fall back, let's send it down to the states," Sen. Kinnaird said.
Three North Carolina counties, Wake, Henderson, and Cumberland, are scheduled to add the 287g program in the coming months. Fifteen others have pending applications.
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