Prince William’s 287 (g) Immigration Program Continues at Jail – PotomacLocal.com

287(g) NewsLeave a comment

A program that investigates the legal status of arrested illegal immigrants in Prince William County will remain in place at least through June. The jurisdiction is the only one in the U.S. to keep the 287 (g) program following efforts to cut the program in October, said Prince William Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart (At-Large). The program uses trained jail personnel at the county’s Adult Detention Center in Manassas to investigate the immigration status of illegal aliens charged with crimes. The U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which administers the program, looked to scale back the 287 (g) program in October. Officials in a letter told Prince William County Sheriff Glen Hill the program would be placed under review until Dec. 31. With this latest decision, the trained staff will continue to work on the program and be funded by Prince William taxpayers while working under the direction of federal customs enforcement. “This is perhaps the most

California leads nation in immigration reform with TRUST Act

Secure Communities NewsLeave a comment

Look sharp, online Sacramento. And brush up on your Spanish: The immigration debate is set to flare up once again in Washington, D.C., but the path to citizenship may begin here in the state Capitol. Democratic state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano recently, and for the third time, introduced the TRUST Act to the California Legislature. This bill would limit state law enforcement’s participation in Se Communities, a system introduced by President George W. Bush and expanded by the Obama administration that allows federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ask local police and sheriff departments across the country to hold undocumented immigrants already in custody for the purpose of deportation. The TRUST Act passed through both houses of the Legislature last fall before Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the bill. Now, amid rising dialogue on both sides of the aisle over immigration reform, it’s back. And Ammiano insists that the governor pay attention. “This is not something we can shy away from,”

Debating The Impact Of An Immigration Crackdown – NPR

Secure Communities NewsLeave a comment

In 2007, when Virginia’s Prince William County ordered police to check the immigration status of anyone they had “probable cause” to suspect was in the U.S. unlawfully, the impact was swift at family restaurant Ricos Tacos Moya. “Suddenly nobody showed up,” says Stacey Moya, an employee, and daughter of the owner. “Nobody was around. Not one soul. We would go hours without any customers, any clients. Nothing.” After community protests, the policy was soon watered down. In fact, police only check the status of those they arrest for a crime. Still, the stigma around the resolution stuck. Moya says one of her family’s restaurants went under. And while business at this one has picked up, it’s not the same. “Not even on weekends after church,” she says. “Nowhere near what it was before. I guess nobody likes to be around in the public that much.” Next year Congress is expected to again take up immigration reform, something it tried, but failed, to pass in 2006 and 2007. The collapse…

A phase-out for 287(g) immigration enforcement partnerships

287(g) NewsLeave a comment

A part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) enforcement program is coming to an end. It’s become less relevant as the federal government rolls out the broader – and cheaper – Se Communities program around the country. It’s not being scrapped entirely, at least not yet. But there’s a possibility that the agency could phase out more 287(g) contracts with local agencies, including in California, in the months ahead. Last week, in an ICE memo announcing another record year of deportations, the agency also announced that it would not renew any of its agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies operating 287(g) task forces. These are federal-local partnerships under which local cops receive immigration enforcement training from ICE and are authorized to carry out related duties, including immigration status checks. On Dec. 31, 287(g) contracts will expire for 25 local law enforcement agencies around the country. So far, that doesn’t affect any…

A Brighter Line on Immigration and Policing – NYTimes.com

Secure Communities NewsLeave a comment

The Obama administration on Friday announced a policy change that — if it works — should lead to smarter enforcement of the immigration laws, s with greater effort spent on deporting dangerous felons and less on minor offenders who pose no threat. The new policy places stricter conditions on when Immigration and Customs Enforcement sends requests, pharm known as detainers, to local law-enforcement agencies asking them to hold suspected immigration violators in jail until the government can pick them up. Detainers will be issued for serious offenders — those who have been convicted or charged with a felony, who have three or more misdemeanor convictions, or have one conviction or charge for misdemeanor crimes like sexual abuse, drunken driving, weapons possession or trafficking. Those who illegally re-entered the country after having been deported or posing a national-security threat would also be detained. But there would be no detainers for those with no convictions or records…