Loudoun turns over more inmates to feds this year
By: David Sherfinski
Examiner Staff Writer
October 5, 2009
Loudoun County has turned over more suspected illegal immigrants to the federal government so far this year than it did all of last year.
The county turned over 166 suspected illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, from Jan. 1 through Aug. 24, said Sheriff's Office spokesman Kraig Troxell. In 2008, the county turned over 135 suspected illegals to ICE, and in 2007, it turned over 83.
Troxell said 43 inmates currently being held on localcharges have been placed on ICE detainers.
Loudoun and Prince William counties are participating in a federal immigration program known as 287(g) that allows local law enforcement officials to enforce some federal immigration laws. Prince William has turned over more than 1,600 suspected illegal immigrants to ICE since July 2007.
Still, the program has come under increased scrutiny. Homeland Security's inspector general is conducting an audit of the program, and a March Government Accountability Office report said the program lacked "key internal controls." DHS does not comment on ongoing investigations or audits, said Marty Metelko, a spokeswomanfor the inspector general's office.
More recently, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has urged President Obama to immediately end the program.
A letter to the president from the caucus' chairman, Nydia Velazquez, and Luis V. Gutierrez, chairman of the CHC Immigration Task Force, said that while the stated goal of the program was to provide a tool for law enforcement officials, "it has been our experience that state and local law enforcement officials actually use their expanded and often unchecked powers under the program to target immigrants and persons of color."
"It is our opinion that no amount of reforms, no matter how well-intentioned, will change this disturbing reality," they continued. "We ask you to reconsider your evaluation of 287(g) and instead of reforming it, end it entirely."
Numerous civil rights organizations also criticized the government's expansion of the program to 11 new jurisdictions this summer, which brought the total number of participants to 77 nationwide.
