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Federal Authorities Allow Sheriff's Deputies to Check for Immigration Status

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By Bill Brubaker (Contact)

Friday, July 18, 2008

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said today that it has received clearance from federal authorities to begin routinely checking the immigration status of all people arrested in the county whom deputies suspect are in the United States illegally.

Three members of the sheriff’s gang intelligence unit recently completed a four-week training program run by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, Loudoun officials said.

Under the direction of ICE, these deputies are empowered to begin the administrative process for federal deportation proceedings for illegal aliens who have committed serious crimes, Sheriff Steve Simpson said.

“The agreement [with ICE] clearly states that our intent is to target those involved in gang or other serious criminal activity,” Simpson said in a statement. “This program cannot and will not be used for random checks or unsolicited searches.”

The program, known as 287(g), has been adopted by more than 50 other law enforcement agencies in the United States, including the police and sheriff’s departments of Prince William County.

Tagged: immigration, police

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