The Prince William Criminal Alien Initiative Could "become a national model?"

PRINCE WILLIAM AREA
Agencies Propose Joint Effort to Deport Illegal Immigrants
By Christy Goodman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 5, 2007; Page B05


Five law enforcement agencies in and around Prince William County are seeking to join forces to combat illegal immigration with a proposal for federal training in deportation procedures that local officials said would be one of the first of its kind in the nation.

The multi-agency proposal comes as Republican leaders in the state legislature have announced a measure that would require city and county jails to check the immigration status of defendants in criminal cases.

The Prince William Criminal Alien Initiative, if approved by the federal government, would build on an enforcement effort at the Prince William-Manassas regional jail that has trained officers to begin the deportation process for selected inmates. From mid-July to mid-August, the effort led to 14 new deportation cases at the jail.

The new agreement would include the jail, the county sheriff's office and police departments in Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park, which together have a population of more than 400,000. The five agencies would use the same immigration enforcement guidelines and have the same training to maintain a consistent approach to what can be a volatile issue. Local officials predicted the initiative would lead to more deportation cases and, they hope, a drop in crime.

...A similar enforcement policy has emerged in five jurisdictions in the Fayetteville-Springdale metropolitan area of northwest Arkansas. There, a handful of city and county police departments have obtained or are seeking individual agreements and training from Immigration and Customs. There are plans for a joint task force of about five officers from each jurisdiction.

...Manassas City Council member Jonathan L. Way (R) said the initiative could "become a national model."

Federal officials are considering the proposal. "We are working to determine [if] what they are suggesting is an appropriate plan of action and if we'll be able to work with them to tackle the area's specific challenges," said Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Richard Rocha.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/04/AR2007090401988.html