Reform sought on jailed illegal immigrants

ASSOCIATED PRESS

December 7, 2008

HOUSTON – Federal lawmakers are calling for reform after a newspaper's investigation found thousands of inmates in the nation's third-largest county walked out of jail despite admitting they were in the United States illegally.

The Houston congressional delegation met with top Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Friday to discuss problems highlighted by a Houston Chronicle investigation last month that found illegal immigrants with criminal records were avoiding deportation.

The newspaper's investigation found that scores of violent criminals, including some ordered deported decades ago, told Harris County jailers they were in the country illegally. ICE officials have said jailers didn't give them lists of detainees who reported they were foreign-born.

The newspaper examined eight months' worth of arrest and immigration records for 3,500 inmates who confessed their illegal statuses to Harris County jailers. While most released from custody were accused of minor crimes, hundreds were convicted felons, the Chronicle reported.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, a Republican, said the delegation wants ICE to provide a list of measures by January to ensure that illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes don't make bail. Lawmakers also said they want to make sure illegal immigrants convicted of crimes – and eligible for deportation – are removed from the country. Additionally, the delegation requested a timeline on when an automated fingerprint-check system that the agency implemented in Harris County Jail in October will be available in the rest of the state.

ICE officials have said the agency has made significant improvements in recent months by giving Harris County jailers access to the fingerprint database.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib ... immig.html