Illegals will remain in jail - for now
Manassas City Police Chief
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By Kipp Hanley
Published: August 5, 2008
The immigration enforcement 287 (g) agreement between the city of Manassas and Immigration & Customs Enforcement looks like it will stay the same for now in spite of impending changes to the way the federal government will be handling the criminal illegal alien issue.
Last month, Manassas Police Chief John J. Skinner informed the council that ICE was considering releasing local non-violent criminal aliens on personal recognizance.
Currently, all illegal aliens arrested for any crime are being held without bond at the Prince William Manassas Regional jail.
ICE was also considering removing some crimes that would be deportable offenses
The list includes virtually every violent or non-violent criminal act, including loitering, trespassing and driving under the influence.
But on Monday, Skinner informed council that these changes will not happen before ICE begins to implement its Secure Communities Initiative. This national program will connect all local, state and federal jails in an effort to identify, detain and remove criminal illegal aliens.
According to ICE statistics, only 10 percent of local jails are screened for foreign born nationals, compared with 100 percent of all state and federal facilities.
The new program will be set up in tiers with level one for major drug offenders, kidnappers and violent criminals, level two reserved for people committing property or non-violent offenses and level three for all others convicted of other offenses.
Last year, ICE charged approximately 164,000 illegal aliens in jails and removed approximately 95,000 criminal illegal aliens.
By keeping these tougher set of standards, Manassas joins Prince William County, Manassas Park and the town of Herndon as the only jurisdictions nationwide with this offense criteria, said Skinner.
Since the program’s inception last July, 860 criminal illegal aliens have been processed with deportation detainers, 747 of them have been released to ICE custody. And 25 or fewer at the jail are awaiting transfer, according to Skinner.
Staff reporter Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-369-5738.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( BigDog1 ) on August 06, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I’m a former resident of PWC, and a retired special agent from the legacy INS. There isn’t enough bed space to hold every person arrested. Yes, illegal aliens are not likely to show up for immigration deportation or for criminal court appearances, but identifyingand processing them is a very important first step in getting rid of them eventually. Sooner or later they will be re-encountered by law enforcement, and will be either held until they can make bail or they will be deported. An alien that is processed for removal or deportation from America can be ordered deported in absentia. So even if they don’t show up for immigration court, it does not mean they can’t be ordered deported, based on the evidence that ICE presents that they fit one or more of administrative law deportation charge(s). Now a days, if they get stopped by a traffic officer, and a computer check is run, the order of deportation will show. The alien can then be detained for a short period of time, if you have 287(g) certified officers, and you do. Ice merely has to get a commercial one way plane ticket, pick him/her up and put them on a flight out of Reagan or Dulles. So the community needs to prioritize bed space at the jail. Believe me that just having 287(g) scares the heck out of illegal aliens. Processing and identifying works against them, so don’t worry about jailing those arrested on quality of life misdemeanors.
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Posted by ( cobra ) on August 06, 2008 at 11:07 am
Personal recognizance? Are you kidding me? They will never return. On the border in Texas, they were also using the personal recognizance process. Guess what? Over 85% never returned for their hearing. And you know what they labeled the other 15% percent who did show up? Stupid. No one is looking for them so why show up. They also coined the phrase Run Letters as that is exactly what they were. There should be a zero tolerance policy for illegal aliens. The compassion has run out for these law breakers.
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Posted by ( do the right thing ) on August 06, 2008 at 9:46 am
If the City of Manassas has to release the incarcerated illegal aliens, bus them to the home of Mr. Tejada, Chairmen of Board of Supervisors, to see if he will find homes for all of them.
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Posted by ( zcxnissan ) on August 06, 2008 at 12:52 am
Releasing these criminals on personal recognizance is like saying Charles Manson didn’t lead that murderous cult that slaughtered that actress and family. LOL Chris Cummings
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Posted by ( cville ) on August 05, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Don’t you do it. Do not release these illegals from jail. They need to be deported ASAP! Crime rates will continue to fall as you deport these criminals.
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Posted by ( Iceni ) on August 05, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Massive negative consequences of illegal immigration on today’s and yesterdays economy. It is all encompassing! Obama, McCain, Governors, Mayors, Councilors, City managers take notice! 80 percent of the American people are watching!
Overpopulation, traffic congestion, urban sprawl, pollution, environmental damage, water, oil, gas, energy diminishing resources, contagious diseases, lack of affordable housing, depressed wages of US citizens, underground economic, fraudulent documents, identity theft, Sanctuary cities, predatory businesses tax evasion, soaring nationwide crime rate growth , increased taxpayer burdens, $$$ going across the border, overseas, overcrowded schools, uneducated legal children, overcrowded prisons, inadequate health care for legal residents, but free health care for illegal immigrants.
The balkanization of our communities and a large and growing population with loyalty to other Nations. Just read this disturbing revelation of costs to the Taxpayer: GOOGLE these sites! Find the truth? numbersusa, snopes-under-politics, fairus, capsweb, americanpatrol, libertypost, vdare. Our politicians must endorse the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) before the next AMNESTY bill.
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Posted by ( Iceni ) on August 05, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Massive negative consequences of illegal immigration on today’s and yesterdays economy. It is all encompassing! Obama, McCain, Governors, Mayors, Councilors, City managers take notice! 80 percent of the American people are watching!
Overpopulation, traffic congestion, urban sprawl, pollution, environmental damage, water, oil, gas, energy diminishing resources, contagious diseases, lack of affordable housing, depressed wages of US citizens, underground economic, fraudulent documents, identity theft, Sanctuary cities, predatory businesses tax evasion, soaring nationwide crime rate growth , increased taxpayer burdens, $$$ going across the border, overseas, overcrowded schools, uneducated legal children, overcrowded prisons, inadequate health care for legal residents, but free health care for illegal immigrants.
The balkanization of our communities and a large and growing population with loyalty to other Nations. Just read this disturbing revelation of costs to the Taxpayer: GOOGLE these sites! Find the truth? numbersusa, snopes- under-politics, fairus, capsweb, americanpatrol, libertypost, vdare. Our politicians must endorse the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) before the next AMNESTY bill.
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