Secretary Chertoff: Thank you very much, Chief. And now I think we will take a few questions.

Yes.

Question: Mr. Secretary, one of the main concerns of Central American countries like Guatemala and El Salvador are when we return these individuals there, and (inaudible) commit crimes and (inaudible) they come back here. (Inaudible.) Should these individuals be jailed here (inaudible)?

Secretary Chertoff: Well, clearly, where we have the ability to prosecute and jail people for committing crimes here, we do that. But either in circumstances where we can't do that, or where they serve their prison terms and now they get out, it's obviously appropriate for us to send them back to the countries they came from because they're not here legally.

At the same time, we do recognize the challenge that our foreign partners have in dealing with gang threat. We are working with them in helping them do what they need to do to protect their own societies from the gang problem. I mean, this is really an international issue, and we have to tackle it with our partners overseas, as well as with our partners at home.

Yes.

Question: Secretary Chertoff, can you give us approximately the percentage of the one thousand arrested so far who are here illegally?

Secretary Chertoff: I think it's close to a thousand. I think it's like 950 or 930, I think, people who are eligible for removal now. Also bear in mind that when people are convicted of crimes, the fact that they've been committed of a crime puts them into a situation in which they now are removable as well. So either because of the fact that they came in illegally, or they've violated the terms in which they came in, or because they've committed crimes which have now rendered them ineligible, I think the vast majority are subject to being removed.

Question: So from that I would assume that some of these did get out of jail and just (inaudible).

Secretary Chertoff: I don't know that I would say that. I would say that in many instances we may have people who committed crimes, they weren't caught yet, let's say, they were out on bail. And of course, obviously, that makes them ineligible to stay. So it's -- I guess, there are a whole series of circumstances. But the vast majority of them will be removable.

Question: Would you be willing to release the names of these one thousand individuals and their locations?

Secretary Chertoff: You know I think that where people are charged publicly, that's part of a public file. I don't know that we've compiled a total list of names. We also want to make sure we are not violating court rules about what can be released and what can't be released. So I mean, we'll go and check and see what we can do, but I don't know if it's --




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