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Friday, August 15, 2008

States gather to discuss immigration, drugs




By Garren Shipley -- Daily Staff Writer






WINCHESTER — Cooperative efforts between local and federal law enforcement agencies to deal with illegal aliens who commit serious crimes are working.




That's what Andrew Kondisko, the resident agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Harrisonburg, told the 21st Annual Quad State legislative conference on Thursday.




State legislators from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania gathered just outside Winchester to discuss issues affecting all four states along the mid-Atlantic Interstate 81 corridor.




Gangs, drugs and illegal immigration were the hot topics at this year's meeting.




A number of legislators expressed interest in Virginia's experience with ICE's 287(g) program, which allows trained local law enforcement officers to start deportation proceedings for criminal illegal aliens.




They're not alone, according to Kondisko.




"After the immigration reform bill didn't pass last year, we saw a surge in requests for that," he said.




Some 60 local agencies have signed 287(g) agreements with ICE, while eight are actively negotiating with the agency. Another 85 have put in requests but haven't started negotiations.




The agreements that are in place have been getting results. In fiscal 2006, some 6,000 criminal illegal aliens were deported under the program.




Another 22,000 were deported in fiscal 2007, and more than 35,000 have been deported since the new federal fiscal year started on Oct. 1, he said.




The program has worked out well for the two local governments — Shenandoah and Rockingham counties — that have signed on to the program.




"It works well in those jurisdictions," Kondisko said, but "it's not necessarily the best fit in a small department."




Losing an officer from a small-town police department for a month of required ICE training could be crippling.




The program does have an impact, but it's just one more thing for already stretched local law enforcement to do, said Lt. Allen "Big Al" Sibert, of the Northwestern Virginia Regional Drug Task Force.




"ICE has to do their part," Sibert said. Federal agencies "can't keep pushing stuff down on to local government."




"I'm a drug investigator," he said. "I could work 24-7 and never take a nap and keep my day filled."




With programs like 287(g), "now I'm not just a corrections officer, I'm the ICE officer who has to put detainers on" criminal illegal aliens.




All law enforcement agencies have to make decisions about where to put their resources.




"We obviously don't have all the answers either," ICE's Kondisko said.




But some initial worries — including that 287(g) would make Hispanic and immigrant communities less likely to cooperate with police — have proved to be unfounded, he said.




"I think these are people that anyone would want to get off the street, particularly the community where they're at," he said.




No one wants drug dealers and violent felons walking the streets of his or her community, regardless of their legal status.




"It's not about immigration round-up," Kondisko said. "It's about these people who are violating laws, in addition to" immigration status issues.




* Contact Garren Shipley at gshipley@nvdaily.com



http://www.nvdaily.com/news/297346738522559.bsp