Posted on 09/20/2008 7:27:21 AM PDT by mdittmar
Jacksonville officers have begun joining forces with deputies from around the state to train for a new crime-fighting program aimed at combating crimes committed by illegal immigrants.
Currently, suspects booked into the Duval County Jail are subjected to a local background check and officers cannot determine whether someone is an illegal immigrant. However, that is expected to change because of a partnership between the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, several correctional officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On Friday, Sheriff John Rutherford stood with the newly trained corrections officers. Soon the group will do background checks on felons who are booked into the jail to determine if the suspect is in the country illegally.
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"Our certified officers will then be able to begin processing them for detention and deportation, depending on the criteria they meet, and will help reduce the threat they can return to street and commit more violent acts here in Jacksonville," Rutherford said.
Currently, when suspects are booked into the jail, their background check doesn't deal with their immigration status. Instead, ICE has to make a visit to the jail to run federal background checks.
According to the sheriff, sometimes before ICE runs the checks, the person in question has already been released.
"We want the community, particularly the illegal immigrant community, to understand that this program is to protect them. It's not to target them. Now, if they commit a violent felony and get arrested, yes we are going to target them," Rutherford said.
The 287g program has been controversial among the immigrant community. Police officer and Chairman of the Mayor's Hispanic America Advisory Council Nelson Cuba said he has a lot of concerns.
"Now, (they) will be too afraid to come forward and report when they're victims of crimes or witnesses to crimes. So, what will that create within the community? Now, we have a silent community and the crimes against these individuals will most certainly increase then," Cuba said.
The sheriff said the new training does not affect the people who may be living in Jacksonville illegally but who aren’t committing crimes. He said he wanted to reassure people that the immigration status of witnesses or victims will not come into question.
wow, did someone finally buy a freaking clue?
It is far from new. The Dems in Congress are trying to eviscerate the 287 [g] program by restricting its use to just criminal aliens and not all illegals.
Inspector Clouseau must have been put on the case.
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