Program to help officials enforce immigration policies in the US

Counties arcos the United States have begun to ramp up their enforcement of immigration laws.  Through a program called 287 (g), law enforcement offers are granted the power of immigration and customs enforcement agents.  The program has been in existence for over a decade but it's only been in recent years that various counties are choosing to implement it.

One county that is really cracking down on illegal immigration by using this program is Prince William located in Northern Virginia.  Officers trained by the 287 (g) program work closely with ICE agents to help curb illegal immigration problems in the county.  The existence of the program has created great fear in the county among illegal immigrants.

Corey Stewart, who is on the Board of County Supervisors said "Prince William has been the catalyst for the expansion of the 287(g) program across the U.S.. There were just a handful doing it before us. The pioneering jurisdictions, Prince William principally among them, have been the impetus for this proliferation."

A researcher with the Urban Institute, Randy Capps, commented about the program that "It coincides with the concerted effort, by a well-coordinated group of like-minded people, to put pressure on authorities to get involved in immigration enforcement,

Research conducted by the Urban Institute indicated that many illegal immigrants will withdrawal from society in this type of situation.  They may be too afraid to drive or leave their home.

"If you are an illegal immigrant, you should be anxious and concerned about driving.  To the extent that we have caused anxiety among the illegal community, I think that's a good thing, because we don't want them here in the first place," said Steward.

www.ice.gov