Thread: S.C.: Sheriff: Rounding up illegal immigrants will have big

Sheriff: Rounding up illegal immigrants will have big impact on local economy
By PATRICK DONOHUE

Published Wednesday, July 9, 2008

LADY'S ISLAND -- Rounding up the "mind-boggling" number of illegal immigrants working in Beaufort County will have a widespread -- and potentially unpopular -- impact on the local economy, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner told a business group Tuesday.

Three deputies will graduate Friday from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement academy in Charleston, and they will be authorized to enforce federal immigration laws in the county.

"When these guys and gals come back, and they're certified by the United States and they can enforce federal law ... that opens the door," Tanner told the Lady's Island Business and Professional Association. "I can't give you excuses that we can't do anything, because now we finally can. And this is the only avenue that gives us the opportunity to do something.

"If we go around Beaufort County and start rounding up folks because they're foreign-born illegals, then what impact do you think that's going to have on the economy of Beaufort County? It's going to have a tremendous impact."

Tanner said he expects a countywide crackdown on illegal immigration might anger some residents, many of whom frequent businesses that employ illegal aliens.

"When we start this ... the general public in Beaufort County, the citizens of Beaufort County are going to start calling me, (Beaufort County administrator) Gary Kubic, County Council members and other folks, saying, 'Hey, y'all need to lighten up a little bit,' " he said.

"When you got golf courses that can't sell a tee time because the grass hasn't been cut, you can't get to your dry cleaners anymore or you go to a restaurant that you always loved and sit down and you've got to wait an hour and a half or two hours because they got a 50 percent cut in employees, we'll have citizens calling us and tell us, 'Y'all need to rethink this.' "

Cracking down on illegal immigrants also could put additional pressure on the already crowded county jail, he said.

The jail has 255 beds, and Tanner said that by the end of Tuesday, the inmate count likely would be more than 400.

"Do you know the pressures put on corrections officers within that system, dealing with that many people?" he said.

"Do you know that the risk that we're having here of a riot inside that jail?" he added. "Do you know the liability that we're assuming for putting that many people inside a facility built for 255? ... So we've got to be careful."

Tanner said an ideal solution to the crowding would be to build another jail. He said there is no room for additional

construction at the detention center on Duke Street in Beaufort. He suggested the current jail could be used as a pre-sentencing or short-term facility.

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/ ... 45393.html

If the government had deterred illegal immigration and not given amnesty before this wouldn't be happening and the numbers wouldn't be overwhelming. Imagine if they just let it go how many IA do you think will be here then? Then it just won't be riots outside the jail and inside but everywhere all over the country putting more citizens at risk. No one said it was going to be easy but it takes small steps and it can be accomplished to get the numbers under control instead of just giving up because the IA are huge in number. Enforce the laws and the IA will have no where to run but back to their home countries.

Is it just me, or does he seem to be not-so-thrilled about immigration enforcement?

Seems that way to me also Az.

"If we go around Beaufort County and start rounding up folks because they're foreign-born illegals, then what impact do you think that's going to have on the economy of Beaufort County? It's going to have a tremendous impact."

Tanner said he expects a countywide crackdown on illegal immigration might anger some residents, many of whom frequent businesses that employ illegal aliens.

"When we start this ... the general public in Beaufort County, the citizens of Beaufort County are going to start calling me, (Beaufort County administrator) Gary Kubic, County Council members and other folks, saying, 'Hey, y'all need to lighten up a little bit,' " he said.

"When you got golf courses that can't sell a tee time because the grass hasn't been cut, you can't get to your dry cleaners anymore or you go to a restaurant that you always loved and sit down and you've got to wait an hour and a half or two hours because they got a 50 percent cut in employees, we'll have citizens calling us and tell us, 'Y'all need to rethink this.' "

Cracking down on illegal immigrants also could put additional pressure on the already crowded county jail, he said.



Sounds like a democrat up for election, what an ahole , i wouldn`t depend on enforcement from him .

Sounds like he making preemptive excuses. I hope the citizenry applies enough pressure to make sure the news laws are enforced now that the whining has already started.

Well, Sheriff Tanner, if you can't handle the job, we'll just have to get someone who can. Just do your job, and quit trying to think of reasons why you can't do it.

Originally Posted by Buzzm1

Well, Sheriff Tanner, if you can't handle the job, we'll just have to get someone who can. Just do your job, and quit trying to think of reasons why you can't do it.

BINGO!

"When you got golf courses that can't sell a tee time because the grass hasn't been cut, you can't get to your dry cleaners anymore or you go to a restaurant that you always loved and sit down and you've got to wait an hour and a half or two hours because they got a 50 percent cut in employees, we'll have citizens calling us and tell us, 'Y'all need to rethink this.' "

I dont golf. I cut my own grass. I don't use dry cleaning services. If I have to wait an hour for a restaurant, I leave (if I go at all). There is no rethinking this. Do the right thing. Get them out. Now.

Originally Posted by SicNTiredInSoCal

"When you got golf courses that can't sell a tee time because the grass hasn't been cut, you can't get to your dry cleaners anymore or you go to a restaurant that you always loved and sit down and you've got to wait an hour and a half or two hours because they got a 50 percent cut in employees, we'll have citizens calling us and tell us, 'Y'all need to rethink this.' "

I dont golf. I cut my own grass. I don't use dry cleaning services. If I have to wait an hour for a restaurant, I leave (if I go at all). There is no rethinking this. Do the right thing. Get them out. Now.

If someone sees these things like golfing, cutting grass, dry cleaning, and waiting an hour to eat at a restaurant as more important than IA and the cost to us tax payers and the threat to our soveriegnty then they can leave right along with the IA because I highly doubt most Americans unless they are employers of IA would have a problem with getting rid of IA.