Thread: TX-White steering clear of 287(g) concept

99Comments 5Recommend

White steering clear of 287(g) concept
By SUSAN CARROLL
Oct. 7, 2009, 5:33AM

JAIL SCREENING PROGRAMS
Two immigration screening programs — 287(g) and Secure Communities — frequently are deployed together, but can be used separately.

287(g): • This program trains local law enforcement to help ICE enforce immigration law, including questioning suspects about their immigration history. Sixty-five law enforcement agencies have active 287(g) partnerships, according to ICE.

Secure Communities: • A technology-driven program that automatically notifies immigration officials when someone fingerprinted at a jail or prison has an immigration record. More than 80 counties participate in Secure Communities.

SOURCE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Mayor Bill White is distancing himself from a controversial federal program that trains local law enforcement to identify suspected illegal immigrants, saying this week that he favors an automated immigration screening program in the city's jails.

This spring, after a Houston Police Department officer was critically injured in a shooting by an illegal immigrant, White formally requested that Department of Homeland Security officials expedite his request that the city participate in the 287(g) program, which would train jailers to act as de-facto immigration agents.

ICE officials announced in July that HPD had been accepted into the program. But since then, the city and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have been locked in protracted negotiations over a range of issues related to the program, from how it should be administered to which agency should shoulder the costs.

White, who is running for U.S. Senate, now appears to be backing away from the program, saying ICE officials were “bureaucraticâ€

"You shouldn't be too hard on the Mayor, you can include the City council, after all you could have heard a pin drop in the council chamber while they paid their respect to the latest Police Officer murdered by the ILLEGAL and they did pay respects to the previous officer murdered by an ILLEGAL. The Mayor and the City Councils action is to talk about what to do and to always pay their respect to any and all Officers murdered by ILLEGALS but continue their Sanctuary City Policy to maybe when the FEDS get around to Enforcing our Immigration Laws; of course during their thoughtful reflection many more Citizens will be MURDERED by ILLEGALS!"

Now there is over 450 comments on the source article.