Benefist of Local Cooperation in Immigration Enforcement?

In a story by Sharon McNary, the Press-Enterprise (Riverside) reports that, even though Inland county jailers specially trained to enforce federal immigration laws have sent more than 2,000 inmates into deportation proceedings in the past year, the program has not met other goals, such as saving money and clearing jail space, county sheriffs said. And after spending $1.5 million on the immigration programs, Riverside County Sheriff Bob Doyle and San Bernardino County Sheriff Gary Penrod said in separate interviews that they don’t know yet if they are making progress toward another key goal: reducing repeat crimes by immigrants. While officials in the two counties evaluate the programs, critics say local authorities do not have sufficient training to correctly and consistently apply complex immigration laws, and that people who are detained on immigration holds are less able to challenge their arrests or fight deportation.

KJ