Thread: Sheriffs, senator discuss illegal immigration, crime

Tough talk
Sheriffs, senator discuss illegal immigration, crime

BY JENNIFER MENSTER
RECORD STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, August 22, 2007

NEWTON -- Some illegal immigrants commit crimes. Too often, area sheriffs say, they then return to the same community.

Burke County Sheriff John McDevitt says his department arrested the same illegal alien twice, deported him both times and just recently arrested the man for a third time.

Catawba Valley sheriffs want to stop illegal immigrant-related crime problems at the border.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole wants to help.

Dole met with McDevitt, Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman, Caldwell County Sheriff Alan Jones and Alexander County Sheriff Hayden Bentley on Tuesday. They discussed the difficulties law enforcement faces when fighting crimes such as drunk driving, drug smuggling and gang activities committed by illegal aliens. Dole says there are two urgent needs: Securing the borders and enforcing immigration laws.

Congress approved $3 billion for increased border security. The money will go toward a 700-mile fence, 45,000 detention beds and increased patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border, Dole said.

A portion of the money also will go toward a program to train local law enforcement to process illegal aliens who have committed crimes. That would save time and money currently spent by local authorities who must go to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office or wait for an ICE agent to arrive.

Too many times, the sheriffs say, an illegal immigrant charged with a crime makes bond and skips town before being processed or deported. Often, an illegal alien arrested and bonded out in Caldwell County moves and changes his name in Burke County, Jones said.

Eighty counties in the country applied for the 287(g) program. Twenty of those counties are in North Carolina. By teaming up as one conglomerate and working with Dole, the four sheriffs in the Catawba Valley feel they have a good shot of obtaining the proper training and equipment to quickly and adequately curb crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

“The fact that these four sheriffs’ departments work so closely together on a daily basis, they can do so much in the way of eliminating the criminal aspect of the illegal immigration problem,â€

The anchor Mod Edit are the actual problem.