Critics Question Estimates on Jailed Illegal Immigrants
posted 2:19 pm Sat September 08, 2007 - RICHMOND, Va.
But jail administrators said the task force's findings don't match their experience.
The report listed the top 10 jails where illegal immigrants were held in the 2007 fiscal year. The Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth ranked No. 4.
The task force said the regional jail had more than 1,000 illegal immigrants this past year, or 8 percent of its overall population.
The statistic is misleading, jail officials say, because the jail has a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to hold suspected illegal immigrants for ICE while they are processed for possible deportation.
"The other inmates we house here are American citizens," said Moses Pollard, the jail's assistant superintendent.
Half the jails on the task force's "Top 10" list have an inmate population consisting of more than 5 percent illegal immigrants, the Daily Press of Newport News said. The others have between 3 percent and 5 percent.
"They were giving me the impression that we are criminals, and I think that's unfair," said the Rev. Jose Eugenio Hoyos of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington.
Hoyos is listed as a citizen member of the crime commission task force but said he was not involved in the research or preparation of the statistics.
Hispanic advocates noted that one day after the report was issued, Republican legislators announced a proposal that would crack down on illegal immigrants in jail.
The task force's chairman, Del. David Albo, R-Fairfax, was among those promoting a legislative package targeting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.
Included are proposals denying bail to suspected illegal immigrants, and to have federal immigration officials train sheriff's deputies so that at least one deputy on every jail shift is authorized to detain illegal immigrants and begin deportation proceedings.
J. Scott Leake, executive director of the Senate Republican Leadership Trust, said the task force findings and the legislative proposal were linked.
"It's all one big package," Leake said. "You can assume that if 10 percent of the prison population are illegal (immigrants), that 10 percent of the arrests are illegals. So when you look at crime statistics, you have to think of how many illegals would rather not show up for trial and face deportation."
Latest Comment on Critics Question Estimates on Jailed Illegal Immigrants
Winstrv
10:48 pm on 09/10/07
If they would arrest those here illegally, the percentage would be much greater. Regardless, one is too many. We all ready have enough home grown criminals. We don't need those from another country.
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