Sen. Elizabeth Dole announces a statewide program giving local authorities the power and resources to handle illegal immigrants.
Details are sketchy, though.
Meanwhile, Alamance County officials are striving for more clarity on the illegal immigration problem following the war of words between County Commissioner Tim Sutton and Burlington Police Chief Mike Williams:
Sutton, a leading local anti-illegal immigration advocate, said the policies of Burlington police Chief Mike Williams are turning Burlington into a “sanctuary city” for illegal immigrants.
Sutton based his contentions on comments Williams made during a Hispanic issues symposium at Elon University last week. Williams has instructed his officers not to ask crime suspects or victims about their immigration status, and said that he won’t bring the federal 287 (g) program to his department. The program, from the Department of Homeland Security and administered by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, trains and deputizes local law enforcement as federal immigration agents and provides computers that access a federal crime database, among other things……
Williams’ stance hurts the sheriff’s 287 (g) efforts, Sutton said. Chief Williams countered that his policies aren’t hurting Sheriff Johnson’s efforts to implement 287 (g), but instead focus on reducing crime and ensuring the safety of all Burlington residents, regardless of their ethnicity or legal status.
Sheriff’s department personnel chief John Glenn explained what goes on:
When police or deputies arrest someone, only those who fail to post bond are taken to the county jail. Only then are arrestees asked about immigration status. “Any time anyone is arrested and is brought into the Alamance County jail, they fill out a report,” Glenn said.
The report asks about nationality and citizenship status. “Those questions are asked of everybody who’s brought in there,” Glenn said. “If you’re from the French Riviera, you’re from Toronto, Canada, no matter where, if you’re not American-born you’re ran through that program.”
Fair enough on that last point. Allowing those who post bond to escape questions about citizenship status appears to be problematic, yet what are the odds that those charged with more serious crimes (especially in county like Alamance) are able to post bond?
