Suffolk pols want feds to foot jail bill

BY LAURA ALBANESE
laura.albanese@newsday.com

July 20, 2007, 1:48 PM EDT

Suffolk lawmakers are fighting to push through federal legislation that would allot $405 million to reimburse states and counties for the expense of jailing undocumented immigrants.

Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) and county Legislator Lou D'Amaro (D-Huntington Station) said Friday they hoped to gain the bipartisan support needed in the House and Senate to pass the bill and bypass an expected presidential veto. The measure, called the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, had been part of the federal budget in the past, but was nixed from President George W. Bush's 2008 budget request, Israel said.

Last year, Suffolk received $1.7 million to pay for the jailing dozens of illegal immigrants convicted of a felony or two misdemeanors, county sheriff Vincent DeMarco said. Without federal reimbursement, he said, "We're going to have to come up with $2 million by cutting services or raising taxes."

Israel added: "This is too big of a burden for the local government."

Suffolk jails house 163 illegal immigrants, though not all meet the SCAAP criteria, DeMarco said. Last year, Nassau received $2.5 million from the program and the state received $30 million.

The proposal will go to the House next week.

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