Thread: Number of Illegals ID'd in GA Jail Doubles

Number of illegals ID'd in jail doubles

Published: 11/09/2008

By Talia Mollett
tmollett@mdjonline.com


COBB COUNTY - The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has picked up 2,746 inmates from Cobb County Jail between January and October of this year, Sheriff Neil Warren said.

Deputies and ICE have also placed immigration holds and started initial deportation proceedings for 2,922 who are incarcerated at the jail and another 4,568 foreign-born inmates have been interviewed during the same time frame. Deputies book in about 40,000 people a year at the jail, Warren said.

"I think the numbers show the program is working. I know when we first started we had a lot more than that," Warren said.

Warren signed Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act in July 2007. Deputies can use the program to identify illegal immigrants who have been charged with committing crimes in Cobb.

From July 2007 to December 2007, deputies and ICE interviewed 2,170 foreign-born inmates and placed immigrations holds and started initial deportation proceedings against 1,357 people incarcerated in the Cobb jail. ICE picked up an additional 748 people.

Some residents have accused the sheriff of targeting a certain demographic with the program, but the sheriff rejects that notion.

"I can tell you that my deputies, the Cobb County and Marietta police departments and the officers in the municipalities don't do that. Our main concern is the safety of the citizens. I guarantee that if I thought there was any profiling, I would be the first one to take it to the chiefs and the people they work for," he said.

Community activist and Director of the Cobb Immigrant Alliance Richard Pellegrino of Mableton doesn't like the program.

"The program is overkill. There are already state and federal laws in place to enable the sheriff's department to identify undocumented immigrants who commit felonies to initiate deportation proceedings against them. 287(g) makes a department target everyone, including those picked up for minor violations," he said.

Pellegrino said the program could destroy families and trust between the police and the community.

"There's a large increase of unreported crimes," Pellegrino said. "I don't think Sheriff Warren or Sam Olens or anyone else anticipated that to happen. It's the unintended consequence of 287(g). It undermines law and order - something they work for."

But Warren said the program is another tool in his belt to help him do a good job as Cobb's sheriff. The program allows deputies to begin deportation proceedings against those here illegally who are arrested on other charges.

"I think the word is that, in Cobb County, Sheriff Warren has a tool he's using. I hope it stops people who don't have a Georgia driver's license or who can't operate a vehicle. It's taking someone off the street who can't drive," he said. "If you're here illegally, you don't want to do anything in Cobb County that will get you brought to the jail."

Warren doesn't believe in waiting on crime to happen, either.

"Sometimes the best way to fight crime and protect the citizens is to be proactive, like when we go to schools and tell kids not to use drugs," he said. "We arrest more people and clear up more criminal warrants when someone is pulled over for a minor traffic violation and then the officer starts checking and finds out they're wanted."

Warren said he is proud to have instituted the program in Cobb County and will continue to use 287(g) during his new term.

"I'm going to enforce the laws of Georgia and protect the community. Any tools that are going to help me do that, I'm going to use," he said.

http://www.mdjonline.com/content/index/ ... 22150.html

"There's a large increase of unreported crimes," Pellegrino said. "I don't think Sheriff Warren or Sam Olens or anyone else anticipated that to happen. It's the unintended consequence of 287(g). It undermines law and order - something they work for."

Hey Pelligrino, don't worry about those unreported crimes, we're going to enforce the law with such zeal there won't be any illegals left to not report any crimes!! What do you think of that, you buffoon.

"Cobb County, Georgia Sheriff Neil Warren was the first Sheriff in Georgia to use 287 (g)."

From "the Dustin Inman Society Blog"
http://www.thedustininmansociety.org/blog/
(Marietta, GA)