Sheriff proposes state illegal immigration program
Published Wed, Dec 12, 2007 12:00 AM
By MICHAEL WELLES SHAPIRO
mshapiro@islandpacket.com
843-706-8142

Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Monday he is working with S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford to create a statewide program to address the issue of illegal immigrants in South Carolina's jails.

Tanner said he was frustrated by the county's ongoing attempt to join a federal training program called 287(g), which trains jail employees on how to process detained illegal aliens for deportation. He described the effort to become 287(g)-certified as stuck "in a holding pattern," but said he was optimistic about a statewide approach.

Tanner said the program would probably feature six or seven regional detention facilities run by the South Carolina Department of Corrections that would handle suspected illegal immigrants from around the state. Tanner didn't offer details on how inmates would be transported to the regional jails.

"We stand a better chance with having 287(g)-certified (jails) in South Carolina through this concept than we currently do trying to make it on our own," he said at a County Council meeting Monday.

He told the council that meetings that started more than a year ago between himself and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to discuss participating in the program stalled because the county's jail is overcrowded. The jail, which is built to hold 245 detainees, currently houses 369 people, which is a record high, Tanner said.

ICE officials told Tanner in October that it wanted the county to come up with empty beds it could set aside specifically for illegal immigrants.

Almost a month ago, Tanner indicated that because some detainees in the jail were probably illegal immigrants that the county might be able to work out a deal with ICE.

But that hasn't happened and he said Monday that because, "hundreds of jurisdictions (are) applying for 287(g)," and since ICE officials choose participants based partly on bed space, that the statewide approach was the county's best bet.

Council Councilman Steve Baer, who represents Hilton Head Island and has voiced support for joining the federal program in the past said, "I have a sense of frustration that we don't have a timeline for how to get to 287(g)."

Tanner said it was still too early to know the cost of the program or when it would start, but emphasized the importance of cooperation from the governor's office.

Tanner said he hoped the program could become a national model that would replace the current system, which favors local jurisdictions based on how much bed space and money they have, but not necessarily based on their need.

"If you can get a lot of interest from the governor -- and we're seeing that interest build -- we'll be able to get Congress interested in regionalizing this great program."
http://www.beaufortgazette.com/174/story/109050.html