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East Alabama

Alabama State Troopers Look For Illegal Immigrants
March 20, 2006, 11:10 PM

Alabama is one of a handful of states that train their troopers to spot and hold illegal immigrants. Since the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, program started in 2003, 160 people have been arrested.

If you are stopped by an Alabama State Trooper, you might be checked against an immigration database. About 44 troopers are trained to keep illegal immigrants off state highways.

"We're doing it in the course of our duties. That is, if we have a trooper that stops on a traffic stop, or they come into our local driver's license office and present fraudulent documents," said Cpl. Susanna Capps.

More states are looking to stop illegal immigrants from crossing U.S. borders. Less than two years ago, fraud investigators arrested a state employee for giving illegal immigrants valid drivers licenses.

"He was here legally and worked for the Department of Revenue, but he was issuing licenses to illegal aliens for $2,000 a piece," said Tpr. Ronni Fetty, a fraud investigator for the Alabama Department of Public Safety.

If a trooper finds an illegal immigrant on the highway, they can be brought up on state and federal charges.

"I put them in the local jail, and I place a detainer. Even though they're given a bond, that jail is obligated to call Immigrations and Customs," Capps said.

States, like Alabama, are dealing with immigrants from many places, not one particular country.

"Greece, from Nigeria, from Mexico and Guatemala. We've had cases from all over the world," said Fetty.

A number of illegal immigrants have come through the Opelika license office. When they present false documents, Capps brings them into her office and arrests them. Because the ICS program is so successful, more troopers could go through the five-week class.

--Written by: Brock Parker