Thread: VA: Deportation-from-jail policy riles some advocates

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longi ... -headlines

Deportation-from-jail policy riles some advocates

BY BART JONES
bart.jones@newsday.com

February 28, 2007, 12:11 AM EST

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy plans to announce Wednesday that he has reached an agreement to place federal immigration agents at the Suffolk County jail to ensure inmates who are in the country illegally are deported.

Immigrant advocates immediately attacked the plan as redundant, saying sufficient enforcement efforts already are in place.

Levy spokesman Ed Dumas said he could not immediately comment on the plan. Levy has made targeting undocumented immigrants one of the pillars of his administration.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are routinely stationed at jails to screen for undocumented immigrants, so assigning agents to the Suffolk jail would not be unusual. A spokesman for Nassau County said the county has had ICE agents stationed at the Nassau County jail "for years."

Immigration attorneys said ICE generally has in place a system where convicted criminals who are here illegally have a "hold" placed on them so that after they serve their time they are handed over to immigration officials for deportation.

The Rev. Allan Ramirez, a leading Latino activist, called Levy's latest plan a misuse of the immigration agents. "They should be out looking for criminals who are actually running around loose and trying to harm our country," he said. "That's what they should be doing rather than promoting Levy's anti-Latino agenda."

Levy contends his programs are not anti-Latino but rather are focused on cracking down on problems such as overcrowded housing and large groups of day laborers gathering on street corners.

Levy also plans Wednesday to announce his support for an anti-loitering bill before the Suffolk County Legislature. It aims to clear county roads of day laborers waiting to be picked up by contractors. Levy said the workers help fuel an "illegal, underground economy," while advocates say the proposed measure is unconstitutional.

GO LEVY GO! WE'RE PROUD OF YOU! DON'T LET THE SO CALLED REVEREND HAVE HIS WAY. Shouldn't the Rev be out helping and praying for the families who have been victims of these illegals instead of sticking his nose into the law!!!!

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longi ... -headlines

U.S. immigration agents will join Suffolk jail

BY BART JONES
bart.jones@newsday.com

February 28, 2007, 5:16 PM EST

Following the lead of Nassau County, New York City and other communities around the country, Suffolk Executive Steve Levy said Wednesday federal immigration agents will be stationed full time in the county jail to ensure criminals and suspects in the country illegally are deported.

Immigrant groups, however, dismissed Levy's announcement as a publicity stunt aimed at taking advantage of anti-immigrant sentiments.

Levy said three to four Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be stationed at the jail starting in two weeks, although an ICE spokesperson in Washington, D.C. said no time or number of officers had been set.

The county executive, who has made illegal immigration a centerpiece of his administration, credited enhanced cooperation with ICE over the last couple of years for boosting the number of inmates turned over to the agency for deportation from 141 in 2004 to 379 last year.

He added that police have increased the number of suspects run through an immigration database from 44 in 2004 to 2,287 last year.

"Having ICE agents at our facility full time should continue this upward trend," said Sheriff Vincent DeMarco.

ICE agents are already at the jail on a regular basis -- sometimes daily, DeMarco said. But the program will give them office space and access to the jail's management system. He and Levy said their presence will help prevent criminals who are in the country illegally from avoiding deportation.

However, immigrant advocates said Levy's announcement only showed that Suffolk is merely catching up to other communities around that have ICE agents stationed at local jails.

"This is Levy doing his sort of pathetic headline grabbing," said Patrick Young of the Long Island Immigrant Alliance.

Levy rejected that, saying he is carrying out the will of Suffolk residents. "I call that democracy," he said.

ICE spokeswoman Patricia Reilly said ICE agents are stationed at jails in Nassau and Westchester counties and Riker's Island, and make occasional visits to jails in six counties in southern New York State.

They are also stationed full time at jails around the country.