Illegal Immigrant Crackdown Becomes Model

POSTED: 6:07 am EDT September 3, 2008


PICKENS, S.C. -- A crackdown on illegal immigrants in Pickens County is gaining interest from agencies in other localities.

The county started a program more than a year ago to take extra steps to identify whether inmates in the county jail are in the United States legally.

In that time, county officials have found more than 100 inmates who are not in the country legally.

"We're going step by step, checking fingerprints through the database. We’re also checking driver's license numbers, any info we can on these suspects, these illegal immigrants," Pickens County Sheriff's Capt. Phil S. Sargent said.

When county officials identify an illegal immigrant, they notify federal authorities, Sargeant said.

So far, 42 people have been deported.

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