September 2, 2008


105 illegal immigrants in Pickens Detention Center in past year

By Anna Simon
CLEMSON BUREAU

CLEMSON — There have been 105 illegal immigrants processed at the Pickens County Detention Center since Aug. 17, 2007, Capt. Phil Sergeant, who heads the detention center, told Clemson City Council on Tuesday night.

The Pickens County Detention Center checks the legal status of every person booked there.

Of the 105 illegal immigrant processed, 86 were from Mexico, and the others came from 11 other countries, Sergeant said. Forty-two have holds on them from federal immigration officials to be deported, Sergeant said.

Staffers from the Detention Center made a presentation to the council about their procedures at the request of council member Margaret Thompson, who has been pushing for stricter enforcement in Clemson and across the county and state.

"There’s no telling who you are stopping out there," said Thompson, a former law enforcement officer with the county.

Without expensive special equipment but relying on fingerprinting and other methods, the department can check on every inmate, Sergeant said.

Everybody needs to be checked, Thompson said. She said it isn’t racial profiling because everyone is checked.


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