County jail has no way to identify illegal aliens

Thursday, Nov 15, 2007 - 09:17 PM

By Jody Barr

J. Reuben Long officials say they currently have more than 50 illegal aliens inside the jail. Jailors say they have no way to timely verify citizenship.

As the Democrats prepare for another presidential debate, the topic of illegal immigrants and driver's licenses is sure to be a hot topic.

Just last week, Hillary Clinton flip-flopped on the issue when asked if illegal should be given licenses.

One county jail is feeling the squeeze from the growing illegal population in Horry County.

Many of the illegals that jailors book into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center are arrested on traffic and license violations.

More and more, jailors at the detention center are coming face to face with the nation's fastest-growing population; illegal immigrants.

According to jail officials, the center is home to more than 50 illegals at any time.

"Undocumented, it could be up to 50%, but there's no way for us to find that out because sometimes they have the documentation but we don't know if it's authentic," Captain Mike Illes of the Horry County Sheriff’s Office told News13.

Illes says Green Cards really don't help with checking the status of suspected illegals because many share cards and fake social security numbers.

In some states, identifying illegals is a top priority.

A few states participate in the federal government’s 287G program.

In the program, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents train local law enforcement in methods used to verify citizenship.

With the program, local law enforcement can run names and aliases through a national database used to store information on legal and illegal immigrants.

State Troopers in Alabama can check whether or not someone's legally in the country right on the side of the road, acting as a first line of defense to enforce the nation's immigration laws.

That's something that can't be done in South Carolina right now.

"No driver's license, no registration; a lot of open container. Unfortunately, that's just part of the game," Illes said.

Captain Illes said jailors make the calls, but verification takes far too long.

Illes said immigration officials don't always answer when the jail verifies it has an illegal alien in its custody.

"It depends, if the person's information is immediately available in their database they sometimes take action, other times, it could be they just say well, there's nothing we can do and we let them go on their local charges," Illes told News13.

That means far too many times those who are in this country illegally in the first place walk right out of the places that could return them home.

Right now, the jail is about 270 inmates over its maximum capacity.

J. Reuben Long’s maximum inmate capacity is 400.

Illes said the jail is looking into the 287 G program that would allow jailors to identify illegals quickly.

The Mecklenburg County jail near Charlotte uses the program and has deported hundreds of illegals in the short time that the jail has used it.

To learn more about the 287 G program click on this website: http://www.ice.gov/doclib/pi/news/facts ... tsheet.pdf

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