| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Land of the Free |
| Texas police agencies get some ICE powers |
| 2017-08-01 |
| [FoxNews] The acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency signed more than a dozen agreements with local Texas law enforcement entities on Monday, giving them the authority to perform certain functions as federal immigration agents. Thomas Homan, who took over as the acting director of ICE in January 2017, signed 18 new agreements with Texas law enforcement agencies to allow officers to interrogate individuals who have been arrested on their immigration status. Officers also will be able to place detainers on individuals. “It is common sense partnerships like these that help law enforcement achieve our mutual goals, and I’m encouraged by the increased interest from law enforcement professionals who seek to join this program and protect public safety,” Homan said in a statement. The 287(g) program – which became law as part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1996 – enables state and local law enforcement entities to collaborate with and perform functions of federal immigration agents. “The 287(g) program is extremely helpful as it allows local law enforcement agencies to participate as an active partner in identifying criminal aliens in their custody, and placing ICE detainers on these individuals,” Matthew Bourke, a spokesman for ICE, told Fox News. “Removing criminal aliens from our communities produces a higher level of public safety.” The 18 Texas law enforcement agencies – 15 of which are in the Houston area – will be deputized only under what is called the “jail enforcement model” of the 287(g) agreement. “Under the [agreement], local law enforcement is not expected to determine the immigration status of individuals during the course of daily activities,” Bourke said. “Only when they process someone into a detention facility.” Trump signed an executive order in January which called for the beefing up of the 287(g) program. So far, ICE has signed agreements with 60 law enforcement agencies in 18 states – including the agencies that participated in Monday’s event. 287(g) agreements have been signed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #1 Might have to live in Texas nothing would be better than when racing through the waste lands at 120 mph a cop with ice for keeping ones beer chilled! |
| Posted by: Crinegum Ulaigum2776 2017-08-01 09:11 |