By Jessica Priest
Nov. 22, 2016 at 10:57 p.m.
Updated Nov. 22, 2016 at 11 p.m.

EDNA - Next year, two existing Jackson County jailers will be trained by and using equipment from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify inmates in the country illegally.

This comes after Sheriff A.J. "Andy" Louderback applied for a 287(g) program grant.

Louderback and ICE announced Tuesday Jackson County received the grant.

Section 287(g), added to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, permits the director of ICE to designate local law enforcement officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions, according to its website.

Specifically, ICE will train two sergeants at the Jackson County Jail on immigration law and process.

The sergeants will also receive from ICE a handheld fingerprinting device that will immediately return any records ICE has on an inmate they suspect is in the country illegally, Patrick D. Contreras, ICE Houston field office director, said.

The sergeants, who will be trained on how to interview inmates about their immigration status, will consult with an ICE supervisor before placing them under an immigration detainer.

Prosecution of local criminal charges would proceed under an immigration detainer and once the prosecution concludes, the inmate could be moved to an ICE detention facility and face deportation proceedings, Contreras said.

Currently, Texas sheriffs do not have access to ICE records that could prevent a county jail from releasing an inmate in the country illegally. They fear the released immigrant could go on to commit another, possibly violent crime against a U.S. resident.

The sheriffs can contact ICE if they suspect an inmate of being in the country illegally, but this is more efficient, Louderback said.

"If you run a jail, it's almost a no-brainer to have a partnership with the federal government so we know exactly what we're dealing with in our county jails," he said. "There's too many places where the information can drop down and not be utilized."

"It's about public safety. It's about us working together to provide that," he added.

The sergeants' training is slated to last four weeks and be held at an out-of-state ICE academy.

Although no dollar amount has been decided, ICE will cover the cost of the training, including the sergeants' transportation, lodging and meals.

"The federal government picks up all costs except for the salary," Louderback said. "We think there are some possibilities and some opportunities for us to maybe have the training in a condensed form in another area within the state and within our geographic region."

Otherwise, he said, he may have to hire part-time jailers while the sergeants are being trained.

The memorandum of understanding between ICE and Jackson County, which will be signed in December, calls for the program to be renewed and reviewed annually. The sergeants will also have to be retrained every two years.

Victoria County Sheriff T. Michael O'Connor's 287(g) program grant application is pending, while Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon is considering applying.

Contreras said the current administration has recently provided funding for the program. In Texas, the Harris County Sheriff's Office and the Carrollton Police Department are participating.

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/new...feds-on-immig/