Lawmakers Seek to Place INS Agents at Jails

WASHINGTON — Citing a trial program’s success at the Anaheim and Ventura County jails, nine House Republicans from California on Wednesday backed legislation to let the INS permanently place officers in as many as 100 counties nationwide that have high concentrations of illegal immigrants.

Under the legislation, whose main sponsor is Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), other counties would be allowed to petition the government to require the Immigration and Naturalization Service to station officers full time at jails within their borders, including those operated by cities.

The bill would automatically continue the two pilot programs in place.

The congressmen argued that the deployments would make it easier for the INS to deport illegal immigrants who are jailed for a variety of misdemeanor and felony offenses.

Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) said that the program has “worked far better than anything we have ever done. . . . This is a very, very effective tool for law enforcement and for our communities. It works and it saves taxpayers money.”

Virginia Kice, INS western regional spokeswoman, said that while her agency is “pleased with the results” of the program in the county jails, it does not support sending INS agents to city jails.

“We are not convinced that using INS on a regular basis at city jails is the best use of valuable resources. Ultimately, 90% of the ‘serious’ criminals end up at the county jail,” she said.

As it has operated at Anaheim’s city jail, the program allows INS agents to identify incarcerated individuals before their arraignment on criminal charges for possible deportation. For illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes, deportation hearings are scheduled after they complete their sentences.

Individuals who are deported are subject to felony charges and up to 15 years in prison if they return to the United States.

Some individuals who are charged with misdemeanors are offered voluntary deportation.

INS officers already routinely visit county jails in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and San Diego counties.

As a result of these visits, about 11,000 illegal immigrants were identified for deportation during the six-month period ending March 31, INS officials said.

In touting the legislation, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) said: “It is time for us to say that illegal immigrants should be sent back to their home countries. And that is especially true of any immigrant who is here illegally, who has been arrested for a crime. Their crime originally was to come here illegally in the first place.”

Also attending the news conference were Reps. Ron Packard, (R-Oceanside), Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), Brian P. Bilbray (R-San Diego), Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-San Diego), Jay C. Kim (R-Diamond Bar) and Ken Calvert (R-Riverside).