Thread: CA - Immigration checks net 46 in Costa Mesa

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ho ... 406099.php

Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Immigration checks net 46 in Costa Mesa
First month of immigration screening results in detentions for array of offenses
By JEFF OVERLEY and NIYAZ PIRANI
The Orange County Register
COSTA MESA Forty-six people have been flagged for immigration violations in the month since a federal agent began staffing Costa Mesa's jail, officials said Wednesday.

That's about 10 percent of the roughly 450 people booked since Dec. 4. Of those identified, six have been deported. Twenty are being processed for deportation, and the remaining 20 will eventually be sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, said Jim Hayes, a regional director for the agency.

Two of those detained have been deported multiple times, have lengthy criminal records and will face federal prosecution, Hayes said. Sentences of up to 20 years in prison are possible for those men, agency spokeswoman Virginia Kice said.

Hayes could not provide a breakdown of the offenses for which the people – nearly all Mexican males – were arrested.

Records at the city police department provide a partial accounting, however.

Four cases involved felonies, including burglary, sale of controlled substances and receiving stolen property. Eight involved misdemeanors, such as petty theft, driving under the influence or disorderly conduct. In at least two instances, men were detained following traffic stops in which they could not produce valid identification.

"It doesn't matter to us what their initial reason for being arrested was," Hayes said, adding that the federal agent is interviewing all foreign-born arrestees – 138 people in the past month.

City leaders initially sought to train local police for immigration enforcement, but quickly accepted a November proposal from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to staff the city jail with a federal agent.

Mayor Allan Mansoor, the leading advocate of the enforcement plan, said the program was "sending a message."

"It shows that full screening was needed and that full screening is effective in reducing crime," Mansoor said. "These offenders will be screened for deportation so that that they will not have an opportunity to commit a repeat offense."

By not having city police conduct immigration checks, leaders to some extent tempered passions among those who worried the program would foster unease within the city's Latino community.

But many residents remain fearful, said Paty Madueno, a Costa Mesa resident and board member at the Orange County Congregation Community Organization. "If they see a patrol car, they run for their life," Madueno said.

Nonetheless, Madueno voiced qualified support for the federal agent's presence, saying that if illegal immigrants commit crimes, "We don't want them here."

She added, however, that the program was a "narrow approach" to reducing crime. "The thing is, how many other burglars from other races are there?" she asked, saying a study of the program should eventually be conducted.

Hayes said he plans to evaluate progress in 60 days to see whether the full-time agent is needed. But, he said, "At this point, I'd say our staffing is pretty much right on the mark."

Hayes said the number of potential illegal immigrants coming through the jail was slightly higher than he expected, but that it could be an "aberration."

"Obviously, the results are indicative that there is certainly a population there that they are arresting that are in the country illegally and need to be screened for immigration violations," Hayes said.

Nonetheless, Madueno voiced qualified support for the federal agent's presence, saying that if illegal immigrants commit crimes, "We don't want them here."

Speak for yourself, Madueno! I'm sure many of Costa Mesa's citizens don't want any illegal immigrants in the city.

Added to Homepage

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1810