Jail Overcrowding Issue Solved In Two Weeks
By Greg L | 21 April 2008 | Illegal Aliens, Prince William County | 23 Comments
The DC Examiner is reporting that ICE has dramatically stepped-up efforts to remove illegal aliens held at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center. In addition to working harder to live up to their obligations under the Section 287(g) Agreement, federal officials will also be providing additional federal ICE agents at the facility to assist in managing the workload. With Prince William County being one of the more significant examples of how successful this program can be, it certainly looks like ICE is making the necessary investment here that will help encourage the expansion of this program.
Federal agents in just over a week removed more than 100 suspected illegal immigrants from the Prince William County jail, eliminating the immigration-related overcrowding at the Manassas facility.
The loading up of detainees in repeated trips since April 10 answered complaints from the jailhouse and Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., that the federal government was not living up to its 2007 contract with the county and taking weeks to remove inmates who should have been removed in days.
Eliminating the backlog of illegal aliens awaiting transfer to federal custody seems to have become a priority for ICE, which is a welcome development. Within just a couple of weeks, the overcrowding problems have all but been eliminated.
“On April 10, we were sitting on 120 a day, and now we’re at 29,” he said Wednesday. Another pickup by ICE officials Thursday helped the jail move closer to its goal of having no inmates awaiting federal removal.
The volume of illegal aliens that Prince William County has identified and turned over to federal authorities is far greater than anyone expected. That alone pretty well demonstrates the scope of what clearly has been a serious issue in Prince William. In order to help deal with that unexpected volume, ICE has decided to dedicate federal personnel to support the program and reduce the burden county taxpayers bear in helping to ameliorate a problem that the federal government is largely responsible for.
ICE has planned twice-weekly efforts to remove illegal immigrants and will better monitor the program, spokeswoman Ernestine Fobbs said.
The agency also has appointed a supervisor to work full time with the facility to ensure that the program moves smoothly, Meletis said.
This welcome development may help make the case that the failure of Congress to address this issue effectively has caused a crisis in many communities across America. The federal government can (and should) continue to increase the resources available for ICE, but the likely more cost effective alternative is to actually impose meaningful penalties on employers who unlawfully hire illegal aliens. To get to that point it’s going to be critical for localities to conclusively demonstrate the full burdens they bear, and force the federal government to shoulder an increasing proportion of those burdens eventually making the political and financial costs of continued inaction higher than the cost of actually doing something to resolve the problem.
Kudos to Frank Wolf for helping get this resolved so quickly, to ICE for stepping up and making sure this program works for Prince William County, and the jail board for doing such a good job of embarrassing the federal government into taking action. Hopefully when ICE reports to Congress to explain what resources they need in order to do their job, the case study of Prince William County might lend additional weight to the effort to enact legislative initiatives such as the SAVE Act. If the unlawful employment issue can get resolved, it will go a long way towards making local efforts to address illegal immigration far less necessary.
The opinions expressed here are solely the views of the author, and not representative of the position of any organization, political party, doughnut shop, knitting guild, or waste recycling facility, but may be correctly attributed to the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy. If anything in the above article has offended you, please click here to receive an immediate apology.
You can follow the discussion through the Comments feed. You can also pingback or trackback from your own site.
23 Comments
Views: 1292
Loading ...
On another, but related, positive note. At 0900 today, there were approximately 35 loiterers at the Coverstone 7-11 area. At 1300, there were none, and two police cruisers.
Oh, that is awesome Advocator. That just made this rainy day a bit brighter. Thanks bud!
What a difference a couple of minutes a day, when the police do a drive-by, makes!
OT, but related…
Sheriffs Back Three Jails for Illegal Immigrants (South Carolina)
———-
MYRTLE BEACH (AP) — South Carolina sheriffs back a plan to build three regional prisons in the state to hold illegal immigrants as they await deportation.
Several sheriffs tell The Myrtle Beach Sun News that the plan would remove the inmates from overcrowded county jails, where they take up valuable space as they await officials to transfer them to the closest federal immigration court in Atlanta.
The current plan calls for the three prisons to hold up to 400 inmates each. State prison officials will run the facilities, which will be paid for through a program with the federal Department of Homeland Security.
It hasn’t been determined who will pay to build the prisons, and officials stress the plan is a work in progress.
Advocates for the poor worry concentrating illegal immigrants in a few jails may lead to substandard care in those facilities.
South carloinians will pay for the prisons.
Greg, we need to start targeting the business owners that hire illegals. Arizona is enjoying great success with their efforts in this area. The Bush administration will not prosecute employers until feet are put to the flames. Let’s face it, the will of the citizens has to prevail, because no national politicians are going to support us in an election year. All three presidential candidates are pro-amnesty.
Don’t forget
Praise those that are doing the right thing. Complain to those who do not.
a phone call of thanks is in order
or email
or fax
or letter
Everyone likes to be praised for a job well done
don’t you?
How many of these detainees picked up at the Jail by ICE are actually deported? Anyone know?
Well, I sure wish we could get the 7-11 clearded out and the Mexican Hut
on Rt. One. There still are 15/20 at 7-11 and for most of the day.
Apparently there is not a loitering law on the books. There use to be.
I hear they are moving in and out at night from these forclosure houses. Don’t know who gives them the right to move in,but someone gets stuck with them moving out.
Probably the tax payer.
We need this Resolution to stay in tack.
americangal4ever said on 21 Apr 2008 at 5:18 pm:
Praise those that are doing the right thing. Complain to those who do not.
a phone call of thanks is in order
or email
or fax
or letter
Everyone likes to be praised for a job well done
don’t you?
Couldn’t agree more.
Well have they reacted or reorganized? Guess we will see in two months where we are. Let’s hope it’s the latter.
Johnson, et al:
The ordinances regarding hiring and harboring illegal aliens are drafted in resolution format and ready to provide to the BOCS. We are waiting for the Hazleton case to go through its appeal. If the Hazleton case is overturned, we have a much stronger case that a local jurisdiction can constitutionally legislate in this area. Arizona, as a state, is in a much better position to meet legal challenges to this type of legislation. PWC is not in that position.
june-reston-
Few of the detainees are deported. I do not think Greg has all the facts. ICE may have picked up detainees from the PW jail but that does not mean they are going to be deported or even processed for deportation. ICE will deal with criminals first. If there is no criminal conviction, I have heard from immigration attorneys some of the things that possibly can happen but automatic deportation was not high on the list.
Aguila tribal,
you guys don’t have a life personas muy locas! or.. I don’t know if you guys are personas.
we the indigenous sufrir first then enjoy all the universo
leyes racistas y inmorales are not laws at all.
none of you are american you all are Europeans
real americans don’t think like you , all you do is muck up the good americans’ reputation
Aguila tribal
11:14
We don’t do Spanglish here! Try another blog.
You know, I don’t think our North American Indians in this country would take so kindly to the South American bunch coveting our nation…including their lands. Since they are here legally, and you are not, they have the rights here…and you do not.
Ahnigi’a! (Cherokee for “vamos”) Nuf said.
lockjaw choctaws said on 21 Apr 2008 at 4:12 pm:
South carloinians will pay for the prisons.
How did you ever figure that out? Boy, you are a genius!
I guess on my side of the county, the illegals hanging at the two 7-11’s on rte 1 across from Marumsco didn’t get the “memo” to vacate. I just drove past both 7-11 and their were mobs of them. Maybe the ones from Coverstone came over to this side of the county where obviously they aren’t afraid of the cops or the cops aren’t stopping by.
Employers caught having illegals in their employ should pay huge fines
PER employee, and make it enough to offset the costs of jail time and the plane or bus ride back to whereever they need to go.
What happened to the concrete company that was raided a few weeks ago?
Were charges brought against them for hiring illegals?
If not, why not!
I applaud the fact that the raid was held and I believe at least 10 were arrested. But no one says what happens to the employer.
What charges were filed against the ‘massage” parlor in Springfield?
C. Armstrong,
You should probably talk to Supervisor Principi about that. After all he said he was going to do something about it.
VA_Magoo said on 22 Apr 2008 at 2:39 pm:
What happened to the concrete company that was raided a few weeks ago?
Were charges brought against them for hiring illegals?
If not, why not!
Have you seen a single instance where a company that hired illegals has been taken to task. Not a single one recently. And another question, why is the Manassas business that it’s immigrant founder (who wanted to give something back to this country) who was charged with fabricating and selling forged documents to illegals still open for business? Hmmmmm