Thread: Program Helping Rid Mecklenburg County Jail Of Illegal Immig

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/10405433/detail.html

Please write to the sheriff's office with some positive comments !!

julia.rush@mecklenburgcountync.gov <julia.rush@mecklenburgcountync.gov>

POSTED: 1:07 pm EST November 27, 2006

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Lawmakers are ready to take action after Charlotte reached a milestone that is making area jails crowded.

So far this year, at least 1,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested. Since May 1, every person arrested and brought to the Mecklenburg County jail has been screened by specially trained deputies who determine whether or not the inmate is an illegal immigrant.

The Department of Homeland Security said on Monday that in the seven months the program has gone on it has been an absolute success. The 1,000 illegal immigrants identified in the jail will soon be deported.

Mecklenburg County is one of only a handful of jurisdictions with a program to screen for illegal aliens. The deputies work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Officials said 125 immigrants have already been deported.

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Jim Pendergraph said there are some flaws in the system, however, specifically when it comes to border security. He said he’s had to deport some illegal immigrants more than once after they’ve found their way back into the county.

But, he said, some kinks can be worked out and progress has been made since last year.

The illegal immigrants are currently being sent to a holding facility in Atlanta before being deported, which is helping Mecklenburg County avoid any overcrowding problems. Pendergraph said there are talks though of building another jail in Charlotte because so many illegal immigrants have been found in Mecklenburg County.

SUCCESS!

Wonderful!!!

{am moving this to the NEWS forum}

Statistics show 98 percent of the illegals charged through this system are Latino. Angeles Ortega of the Latin American Coalition says some members of the Latino community feel they’re being unfairly targeted.

“It scares people. More than anything it puts people in fear of being put in contact with police,” Ortega said.

But Pendergraph says those here illegally need to go, even if that means getting deported 25 times.

Good for you Sheriff!