Monday, July 12, 2010

Wisconsin Sheriff's And Police Allegedly Using ICE PARS Reporting System To Identify And Deport Illegals

Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.

Any law enforcement agency and county sheriff departments in the country who have any type of agreement and partnership with USICE, they automatically have to screen every person detained or arrested for legal status, according to federal sources.

By H. Nelson Goodson
July 12, 2010

Milwaukee, WI - Sheriff's departments and police departments allegedly using Iimmigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Preliminary Arraignment Reporting System (PARS) to identify and deport illegals with minor offenses. Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) an advocacy immigration and workers rights organization in Milwaukee is alleging that Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department is making information accessible to ICE for the purpose of identifying and deporting illegal immigrants with minor offenses.
On Monday, Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. admitted that ICE has accessibility to information gathered from people they have arrested. Clarke says, such as name, date of birth, place of birth, Social Security number and race, which the department compiles from everyone that has been arrested or detained in Milwaukee County.
ICE's PARS is a consistent and efficient system that allows the feds to automatically get data from the county and city of anyone detained or awaiting trial, including witnesses. The PARS agreement is usually approved by county and city officials. Clarke hasn't admitted the County is actually using PARS.
But on Monday, Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director accused the Sheriff's Department of working with ICE to deport illegal immigrants for minor offenses during the morning "Temas al Aire" talk show at the Spanish transmitting station WJTI 1460 AM radio in Milwaukee.
Ortiz has sent a letter to the Milwaukee County Board requesting an informal investigation and has sent a letter to Sheriff Clarke as an open record request regarding the issue. VDLF is expected to address the County Board members on Thursdays committee meeting. She claims that a dozen cases have been filed at VDLF of illegal immigrants that have been held for minor offenses and have been deported or are awaiting deportation.
Clarke says, the department works with other law enforcement agencies by sharing information and did not dispute allegations ICE has access to information of persons processed by the department. He did confirm that the County jail has been in an agreement for the last five years with the feds to hold illegal immigrants under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program and the County was reinburse about $135,000 in 2009. In 2008, the County received at least $60,000 under the program, according to Sheriff Clarke.
In June, the Dane County Sheriff's Department adimitted that anyone suspected of being in the country illegally are reported to ICE as an initial investigation to see, if the detainee has a record or wanted in another country. Sheriff Dave J. Mahoney has a policy that allows deputies to report all undocumented inmates booked in jail to ICE.
In the City of Waukesha, police allegedly detain suspected illegal immigrants within the city limits and then call ICE. Hispanic News Network U.S.A. contacted the police chief via e-mail, to confirm an agreement with ICE to detain suspected illegal immigrants. In Early June, Waukesha Police Chief Russell Jack, when contacted neither confirmed or denied the allegations.
In Wisconsin, non of the law enforcement agencies have a partnership with ICE known as 287(g) that allows certain trained officers to enforce immigration laws with the supervision of ICE officials.
Only the Dodge County jail in Wisconsin has an agreement with ICE to hold illegal immigrants. ICE transfers illegal immigrants from Illinois, Kentucky and several other states to Dodge County for hold until they are moved to a detention center in Chicago for removal. ICE pays at least pays $400 per illegal immigrant and deports through the Dodge County jail at least between 400-600 illegal immigrants per week.
Last Sunday, Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General during an interview on CBSnews Face the Nation told the news correspondent that states and local jurisdictions can help enforce immigration laws provided they abide by federal guidelines and laws, instead of enacting inconsistent laws with the U.S. Constitution and that preempted federal laws.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit challenging Arizona's SB 1070 claiming the state law is inconsistent with the Constitution and preempts federal laws.
President Barack H. Obama and his administration are pushing for immigration reform and enforcement of immigration laws. Several weeks ago, ICE released their five year plan, which includes faster deportations, reforming detention centers, enforcement in work places and providing better medical and dental care for detainees.
ICE has been taking a different approach to enforcement at work places. Instead of the usual ICE raids and detention of illegal workers, they now investigate companies hiring illegal immigrants and check employee records for legal status to work. Companies are being forced to terminate illegal workers or face fines and criminal proceedings.
To date, 2,900 companies have terminated illegal workers avoiding hefty fines from the feds. Over 387,790 were deported in 2009, of those 136,116 had criminal records, according to Carl Rusnok, ICE Spokeperson.
In early July, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter began action to block the PARS agreement the city has with ICE before it expires in August. Because records and information of people detained and witnesses in criminal investigations who happened to be illegal immigrants is compromised. Illegal immigrants become reluctant to become witnesses and give information to police in crimes for fear of being deported.
The PARS computerized record system automatically connects to information identifying victims and witnesses legal status connected to crimes, especially to suspects arrested on criminal offenses, according to Mayor Nutter. 

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