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Las Vegas police renew partnership with ICE
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Apr. 10, 2012 | 9:38 a.m.
The Metropolitan Police Department has renewed a controversial partnership with federal immigration officials that allows some corrections officers to start deportation proceedings against immigration violators.
The department was one of 67 law enforcement agencies nationwide last week to enter into the latest "287 (g)" agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Civil rights leaders have blasted the partnerships, which are named for the corresponding section of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, saying the agreements target Hispanics and could lead to racial profiling and make people afraid to report crimes.
Maggie McLetchie, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said the ACLU was disappointed that the department had chosen to renew the partnership.
"Our concerns fell on deaf ears," she said.
The ACLU has concerns that the new version of the agreement "reduces record keeping and public accountability" by making 287 (g) data federal, rather than local, records, McLetchie said.
"The public won't know how the program is operating."
The ACLU also is concerned about the cost of the program, she said.
Metropolitan Police Department representatives did not return calls for comment Monday afternoon.
Sheriff Doug Gillespie has repeatedly insisted the partnership is meant to target violent criminals.
Las Vegas police first entered into the agreement with ICE in mid-November. During the first 10 months of the partnership, the department forwarded to immigration officials the names of 1,849 inmates who were determined to be in the country illegally.
An almost equal number of inmates also found to be in the country illegally were not referred to ICE because they had no violent criminal history, the department said earlier this month.
It's unknown how many local inmates were deported because of the partnership. ICE doesn't track removals that way, the agency said. Illegal immigrants referred to the agency by local law enforcement become part of ICE's larger caseload. Those cases can drag on for months or even years.
Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.
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I approve of this program.
The ACLU also is concerned about the cost of the program, she said.
How the hell about the costs illegal aliens are running up in this valley? How many millions of dollars are they costing an already financially overburdened UMC? The cost of the program will be worth it to get rid of the illegal aliens in this county. The American Criminal Liberties Union needs to STFU and back away from this. Illegal aliens are criminals and they deserve every punishment heaped on them by law.
I love it, the ACLU said their concerns fell on deaf ears.
Now you get an understanding how the vast majority of citizens and legal immigrants feels about our government allowing 10 to 20 million illegal aliens, all criminals into this country.
The ACLU is concerned about costs, like allowing illegal aliens to overburden schools, hospitals, social services, and added crime isn’t costly enough to honest citizens.
Hazelton PA, school bilingual costs in 2000 $600, now over a million and a half dollar. UMC dialyzes was how much each year costs for illegals?
Flat out Maggie McLetchie is less than honest with their agendas, actually not concerned about costs vs jail, deportation, as they have no accurate figures on what illegal aliens cost citizens allowing them to continue to live here.
If Civil rights leaders don’t like laws being enforced and fear profiling.
Tell the Hispanic community to stop encouraging and supporting criminals.
Bogus concoction saying 287 (g) makes people afraid to report crimes. How many in the Hispanic community report illegal immigrants or illegals using fake or stolen ID’s?
Seems they are rather selective in what crimes they report!
Oh yea, some crimes are justified.
If they are illegal, they should be deported. It doesn't matter if they are violent criminals, or not. If they are illegal immigrants, they are criminals. They should be deported, their property confiscated to pay costs, and given the choice to have their offspring accompany them, or to be put up for adoption.
Yep! There it is! Top left of the page, just above the date. The word "News".
Should say "Op-ed", methinks.
Thats music to my ears! Now,if we would start Deporting the rest of the "ILLEGALS", I could get back to work and start living a normal life again.