Immigration checks to be conducted at the county jail
Monmouth County in New Jersey is going to start checking the immigration status on those who are booked at the county jail. Law enforcement will be able to act as federal immigration agents through a program called 287(g). The Sheriff said it was unlikely that every law enforcement officer in the county would be trained under the new program but rather a select few noting costs as being a major restriction in doing so.
The Sheriff, Kim Guadagno said “We don’t have the resources to do what the federal government is supposed to do in terms of immigration enforcement. Right now my concern is the safety of Monmouth County residents. If I can keep a person in jail with an extra background check when that person is a risk to commit a crime, that’s the best I can do.”
Some residents in the county are disappointed that the program will not be fully implemented. Resident Diane Reaves said “It’s a shame that she [Guadagno] doesn’t feel the importance of implementing the full 287(g) program in Monmouth County - a shame because of the immense expense that the illegal aliens have brought to this state.”
Speaking against the program is Charles Goldstein with the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network: “What the sheriff wants to do in Monmouth County is venture into an aspect of the 287(g) program, and what she is proposing is something we oppose. This new booking procedure is not necessary. Local police and corrections officers are already overburdened, and to create an additional responsibility for them in the specialized area of immigration law is bad law enforcement. You will be taking away corrections officers from other training so they can be trained for this.”
http://www.ice.gov/partners/287g/Section287_g.htm
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