More than 900 Gwinnett inmates to be deported
More than half had a previous criminal history
By
ANDRIA SIMMONS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Federal immigration officials flagged for deportation 915 foreign-born inmates at the
Gwinnett County jail during a 26-day surge that ended on Thursday.
Of the inmates identified as being in the country illegally, 489 had a previous criminal history, said
Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway.
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Officials from the
Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the results during a joint press conference Thursday at the conclusion of a targeted enforcement effort that began Jan. 12.
Federal immigration officials worked in 15-person teams from 6 a.m. to midnight during that time frame to interview all the inmates and determine their immigration status. The inmates were charged with a range of offenses including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, theft,
traffic violations, and probation violation, said Larry Orton, assistant field officer director for the ICE Criminal Alien Program in Atlanta.
Gwinnett County is still waiting to hear whether it will be accepted into a federal program called 287(g) that would allow local jailers to begin deportation paperwork on criminal aliens, said Conway.
“I would like to see a program like this 24/7 at the
Gwinnett County jail,” Conway said. “
Gwinnett County is safer today because of this operation and the work these ICE agents did.”
Cobb, Whitfield and Hall counties and the Georgia State Patrol already participate in the 287(g) program.
Opponents say it would increase the likelihood of racial profiling and create distrust between law enforcement and immigrant communities.
Rev. Tracy Blagec, a spokesperson for Atlantans Building Leadership for Empowerment (ABLE), said she suspects many of the undocumented aliens in the Gwinnett jail committed only
traffic violations.
“This is local enforcement trying to enforce something that should be corrected at the national level,” Blagec said.
She instead advocates federal measures that would speed the path to citizenship, allow more work visas and permit immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
BY THE NUMBERS
Inmates flagged for deportation were charged with the following offenses:
Murder 13
Armed robbery 28
Kidnapping 11
Battery 15
Felony theft 34
Felony drug offense 154
Theft of motor vehicle 7
City or county ordinance violation 37
DUI 48
No driver’s license 226
Other felony 45
Misdemeanor probation violation 55
Felony probation violation 42
Rape 15
Child molestation 23
Aggravated assault 38
Family violence battery 12
Misdemeanor theft 30
Burglary 17
Obstruction 9
Hit and run 6
Homicide by vehicle 1
Other traffic 11
Other misdemeanor 37
Note: for inmates with multiple charges, only the most serious offense is listed.
More than 900 Gwinnett County inmates Deported
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