llegal Immigrants in Jail = Costly
YouNews™
Story Published: Jan 5, 2009 at 6:22 PM PST

By Audrey Asistio

YAKIMA -- Illegal immigrants are taking up space the Yakima County Jail, and taxpayers are paying for it. From July 2006 to June 2007, Yakima Jail housed 381 illegal immigrants, costing taxpayers two-million dollars for that year alone. Department of Corrections Director Steve Robertson says it has been that way for awhile now. Yakima County isn't the only place with that problem. That is why getting refunded for the costs is not easy.

"You fill out the application, you put it in, whatever is available, it's divided up between all those that apply and we gave out the two-million request. We ended up with $180,000," explains Robertson.

It is a challenge for the budget, and Robertson says many criminals pretend they are citizens.

Robertson tells Action News, "There's a set of rules that goes with what you could bill and what you can bill. So we really don't have an accurate number. This number is what we could bill for."

An immigration agency called "Ice" finds which inmates are illegal.

"When they are done with all their charges here, then Ice comes and gets them, and they are deported."

They deport illegals who are serving time for drugs or theft. The governor is proposing to do so in state prisons. She says it would save money, but it would not affect the county jail. Illegal immigrants take up 10% of the money spent every year on the Yakima County Jail.

http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/37121599.html