Legal News

Three SoCal counties begin screening immigration status of inmates

By Richard Binder

Law enforcement agencies in three Southern California counties will soon be able to check the immigration status of arrestees when their fingerprints are taken.

Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego will begin running inmates' fingerprints through federal databases this month to see if they have had any contact with the immigration system. Immigration officials will place holds on those believed to be in the country illegally. Once the inmates have finished serving their sentences, they will be transferred to immigration custody for possible deportation.

County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who lobbied the federal government to bring the program to L.A., said its implementation will make the county safer and save money. But Ahilan Arulanantham, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said there need to be safeguards so inmates aren't incorrectly put on immigration holds based on a database that could contain errors.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced several months ago the program would be implemented in Southern California. It is already used in 48 counties across the country.

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Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on May 14, 2009 (boomark / email).