Few criminal illegal immigrants ID’d at Houston jail

[peejay 327]

Few illegal immigrants ID’d

Records show they're missed often at Houston jail

By SUSAN CARROLL and BRADLEY OLSON 2009 Houston Chronicle

March 13, 2009, 9:14PM

Standing in front of a bank of TV cameras this week, Houston Mayor Bill White took the federal government to task for not deporting an illegal immigrant with a criminal record before he allegedly shot a Houston police officer during a recent drug raid.

“I vowed after talking to the officer’s wife that I was going to make this a cause,” the mayor said Tuesday, “and I wasn’t going to tolerate some of the excuses that we’ve heard about lack of resources.”

But critics say the mayor has been making plenty of his own excuses when it comes to immigration enforcement and has done little to help the federal government improve screening in Houston’s jails.

Recent documents obtained by the Houston Chronicle through a public records request show that very few illegal immigrants are being identified in the city jail. Last year, HPD jailers detained for immigration officials less than 1 percent of the 58,774 suspects booked only into the city’s jails and not transferred to the Harris County Jail. From October 2006 through January, HPD identified and detained 372 suspected illegal immigrants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The recently obtained documents include a November e-mail from Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt to White that reported “several thousand” illegal immigrants eligible for deportation had passed through the city’s lockups.

Police officials who requested anonymity told the Chronicle that an immigrant with a criminal history similar to the Salvadoran man who shot Officer Richard Salter might today be able to slip through the cracks if he was picked up by HPD on a minor offense. That’s because HPD uses a database to screen suspects with fewer immigration records than that available in other jurisdictions, such as Harris County.

To plug any potential remaining gaps, White this week said he plans to ask Hurtt to consider participating in the federal government’s controversial 287(g) program, which trains local jailers to assist immigration agents. The move is a departure from the mayor’s past position that local police should have limited involvement in immigration enforcement. The mayor and Hurtt this week also committed to using a Homeland Security database that automatically checks suspects’ immigration history.

Gary Blankenship, president of the Houston Police Officer’s Union, said he welcomed the mayor’s decisions, but said it comes “way too late.”

“The mayor should have done this a long time ago,” Blankenship said. “The time for pointing fingers at the federal government is way past. This is a team effort. Everybody is going to have to pitch in on this problem.”

White says the accusation that he has failed to act is unfair. He said he has pushed for having more immigration agents assigned to screen out dangerous criminals in the local jails for years, and instituted reforms after the murder of Houston police 0fficer Rodney Johnson by an illegal immigrant in 2006.

Ultimately, he stressed, enforcing immigration law is a federal responsibility.

Changes were made

After Johnson was killed in 2006, both HPD and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office pledged to make changes in the screening of illegal immigrants in their jails, and allowed ICE full access.

HPD started checking suspects against an FBI database that contains limited immigration information. Jailers detained for immigration officials anyone identified in the computer check as a previously deported felon or having an immigration warrant.

HPD started checking suspects against an FBI database that contains limited immigration information. Jailers detained for immigration officials anyone identified in the computer check as a previously deported felon or having an immigration warrant.

Hurtt requested in 2006 that ICE assign a full-time immigration agent to the city jails, but the agency declined, White said.

The 372 suspected illegal immigrants identified and detained by HPD from October 2006 to January represent a tiny percentage of the 372,285 bookings in that time period through the city jails. But city officials cautioned against reading too much into those numbers.

Nearly half of all suspects booked in the city jails — people charged with Class B misdemeanors or felonies — are transferred to Harris County’s jails, where they are subject to additional screening, according to HPD. And those processed in city jails for minor crimes are less likely to fall into the high-priority category for ICE, White said.

Contrasting statistics

Still, by any measure, the city’s numbers are far lower than the county’s.

In 2008, the city and county jails each booked about 133,000 suspects on criminal charges. The city detained 207 people for immigration agents in 2008. Of the more minor offenses for which suspects are not forwarded to the county, the city detained 67 out of 58,774 bookings — less than 1 percent.

By contrast, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s screening program resulted in the detention of 9,110 suspected illegal immigrants for ICE in 2008 — about 7 percent of all bookings.

After Johnson’s murder, the Sheriff’s Office started asking all suspects during booking if they were in the country illegally. The city does not ask suspects about their legal status, only whether they are U.S. citizens.

ICE has recently stepped up its staffing in the county jails and last year trained nine Harris County jailers through 287(g). In October, the sheriff’s office started using the Homeland Security database that automatically checks immigration history.

Michael Keegan, a Homeland Security spokesman, said immigration officials and HPD have a good working relationship. He stressed that the federal government has made the removal of criminals convicted of violent crimes a top priority.

Five convictions

The man accused of shooting Salter, Wilfido Joel Alfaro, had five drug convictions on his record, including three after he was granted voluntary departure by an immigration judge in 2001. Alfaro was shot and killed by officers during the March 5 raid. Salter was critically injured.

Curtis Collier, president of U.S. Border Watch in Spring, which advocates for stricter border controls, said he’s been “severely frustrated” with the mayor’s earlier reluctance to adopt 287(g). Collier said he was pleased to hear White is now considering the program.

City Council member Mike Sullivan said the mayor should use more resources to help ICE deport immigrants convicted of crimes. “My constituents and citizens across the area are screaming out for illegal immigrants to be dealt with, and especially those who commit crimes,” he said.

Sullivan said Alfaro’s case shows the need for the city to do more as well. Blankenship said he wishes White had acted long ago. “It makes me sick,” Blankenship said. “I don’t know how many people have to be killed before we stand up and do our part.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/specia...on/6310456.html

[Ban Hammer 14,296]

why does the government love illegals so much?

[peejay 327]

why does the government love illegals so much?

Because politicians generally do what is beneficial to themselves (and their party) rather than what is right. Cheap votes and cheap labor. Lots of money, votes, and self serving politics at play. These guys will get away with what they can for as long as they can.

The key is to make these azzholes pay at the polls for selling out the public's interests. Minor issues someday become major issues that cannot be ignored or excused anymore. As the chickens come to roost the public wakes up to these clowns' games.

[Ban Hammer 14,296]

why does the government love illegals so much?

Because politicians generally do what is beneficial to themselves (and their party) rather than what is right. Cheap votes and cheap labor. Lots of money, votes, and self serving politics at play. These guys will get away with what they can for as long as they can.

The key is to make these azzholes pay at the polls for selling out the public's interests. Minor issues someday become major issues that cannot be ignored or excused anymore. As the chickens come to roost the public wakes up to these clowns' games.

i sure wish we had eisenhower around again, he took care of this problem.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I'm speculating there'll be a new civil war 2. Instead of fighting for free of slaves, it's fighting for naturalizing illegals.

[Ban Hammer 14,296]

I'm speculating there'll be a new civil war 2. Instead of fighting for free of slaves, it's fighting for naturalizing illegals.

and the left will lose, as the right is better armed.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Civil war? Thinking about the numbers here. It's estimated there are 12 million illegals and as of July 2008 the US population is 303,824,640.

I don't think that would be a very fair fight. I also don't think that there is enough movement for the issue to capture all the states involvement.

Edited March 14, 2009 by Far2Long

[_Simpson_ 250]

Civil war? Thinking about the numbers here. It's estimated there are 12 million illegals and as of July 2008 the US population is 303,824,640.

We got the numbers!!!

Bring

It

On

Edited March 14, 2009 by looking_up

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Ethnic groups:

white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate)

note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the total US population is Hispanic

Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/th...k/print/us.html

Languages:

English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)

note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii

[I'm Gone 60]

why does the government love illegals so much?

The office response from the Obama administration is Usted blanco dejado mi marrón hermanos y hermanas dejado sea.

[Ban Hammer 14,296]

why does the government love illegals so much?

The office response from the Obama administration is Usted blanco dejado mi marrón hermanos y hermanas dejado sea.

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

why does the government love illegals so much?

The office response from the Obama administration is Usted blanco dejado mi marrón hermanos y hermanas dejado sea.

Usted blanco deje a mis hermanos morenos en paz...

I advise to use tr.voila.fr next time, that internet translator you are using sucks

Edited March 14, 2009 by TävôLuDô

[Ban Hammer 14,296]

why does the government love illegals so much?

The office response from the Obama administration is Usted blanco dejado mi marrón hermanos y hermanas dejado sea.

Usted blanco deje a mis hermanos morenos en paz...

I advise to use tr.voila.fr next time, that internet translator you are using sucks

the obama administration isn't know for correct translations:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=183441

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

why does the government love illegals so much?

The office response from the Obama administration is Usted blanco dejado mi marrón hermanos y hermanas dejado sea.

Usted blanco deje a mis hermanos morenos en paz...

I advise to use tr.voila.fr next time, that internet translator you are using sucks

the obama administration isn't know for correct translations:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=183441

PWNED!!!!

[panamania79 2]

why does the government love illegals so much?

The office response from the Obama administration is Usted blanco dejado mi marrón hermanos y hermanas dejado sea.

What are you trying to say ?