Thread: CA-Immigration screening of inmates to expand

Immigration screening of inmates to expand
Dangerous illegal immigrants to be deported
By John Scheibe
Friday, May 15, 2009


Ventura County authorities will soon get more help from the federal government in checking the immigration status of inmates at the county jail.

For some time now, agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have helped Ventura County Sheriff deputies check the immigration status of inmates, Sheriff Bob Brooks said on Thursday.

While the system has worked well, the existing set up leaves some things to be desired.

For starters, Brooks said deputies have been unable to access a federal immigration list containing the identities of those who are in this country illegally.

This, together with the lack of an automated system, meant that the immigration status of some inmates who were here illegally was going unnoticed.

Under the new Secure Communities program, all inmates will be screened when they are booked into the County Jail.

Part of the new system will involve scanning an inmate’s fingerprints and comparing it with a federal list of fingerprints of immigrants who are here illegally.

Ventura is among three Southern California to be the first in the state to automatically screen inmates for their immigration status. The other two counties are Los Angeles and San Diego.

The program already is in place in 48 counties outside California.

The federal government has set aside $350 million for the program during the current fiscal year.

The new program is especially targeting convicted felons with a violent background, Brooks said, including those with gang affiliation.

Rather than let them back out on to the street once they have completed their sentences, inmates who are found to be here illegally will be handed over to immigration authorities once they have finished their time in jail, Brooks said.

Immigration authorities said they will first deport those convicted of a serious crime such as kidnapping and rape.

Federal immigration authorities plan to expand the program to all jails and prisons in the nation by 2013.


http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2 ... to-expand/

Immigration authorities said they will first deport those convicted of a serious crime such as kidnapping and rape.

What exactly does the above comment mean? Does it mean ICE has the prerogative to decide who they will and won't deport when considering those who are not guilty of a serious crime?

All illegal aliens should be deported, regardless of what they have or haven't done.