The Obama administration is expanding immigration checks to nearly all local jails, which could sharply increase U.S. deportation cases, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
Expanding the program could result in a tenfold increase in illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes and identified for deportation, the report said, citing current and former U.S. officials. The program, initiated by former President George W. Bush, began in October and operates in 48 counties, the Post said.
It also operates in Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Boston and Phoenix. It would expand to nearly all local jails by the end of 2012, the Post said, citing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement service.
Federal and state prisons already check the immigration status of inmates. But authorities lack the time and staff to do the same at local jails, which house up to twice as many illegal immigrants at any time, the article said.
Obama is seeking $200 million for the program in his proposed 2010 budget, a 30 percent increase that puts it on track to receive $1.1 billion by 2013, the newspaper said.
May 20, 2009 at 6:02 pm
So, IWI Obama does something that I would have thought IWI approves of… and there’s no comment… apart from saying it was W’s idea – as if W ever had an idea of merit.
Would it really have hurt to say:
‘Obama takes decision to deport ten times as many undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes’.
And then – at the end – IWI’s comment: We haven’t always believed that Obama would deliver; but this time it’s looking good, he’s on the right track.
May 21, 2009 at 10:09 am
I made no comment whatever