Biane: Counties must be reimbursed for jailing criminal illegal immigrants
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors today approved an application for about $2 million from a threatened federal program that reimburses local governments for jailing illegal immigrants who have been arrested for crimes.
The federal government has targeted the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) for elimination as part of the budget proposed by the White House.
Second District Supervisor Paul Biane said in a news release that state and local governments spend billions of dollars annually to jail or imprison illegal immigrants arrested for various crimes.
"The burden of jailing illegal aliens who are caught committing crimes in our communities should not fall on the back of local government," Biane said in the news release.
Biane led an earlier effort to identify criminal illegal immigrants and to secure additional SCAAP funding for the county.
"The burden should rest squarely on the federal government, which has failed in its duty to keep these criminals out of our country," he said.
Biane proposed the creation of an illegal immigrant screening program at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga in 2005, but it presented a couple of problems. Some illegal immigrants were released on bail or on their own recognizance because they were not being properly identified as illegal immigrants. In addition, the county could not seek federal reimbursement for detaining illegal immigrants because they were not identfied and documented as such.
The county partnered with ICE to train sheriff's custody specialists to check inmates' immigration status. Now, when an illegal immigrant is identified, a detainer is placed on the inmate to prevent him/her from being released on bail. The inmates get their day in court and must serve any sentence for their crimes. Inmates are turned over to ICE for deportation after their cases are resolved. In 2008, the program was expanded to County jails in Barstow, the Morongo Basin, Victorville, and San Bernardino using video conferencing technology.
"The county has taken many steps to ensure these criminals are identified, documented, and deported, and I'm hopeful Congress will see the wisdom in fully funding SCAAP so local governments like San Bernardino County can continue to play a vital role in the efforts to fight illegal immigration," Biane said.
SOURCE: News release
Please someone help me as I must have been asleep during that portion of my education which focused on American Geography.
If I remember correctly (and yes I am getting old and forgetful) the boarders between the various states were the responsibility of the states. However the International Boarder between the countries is the responsibility of the Federal Government. Is this correct?
Now if you commit a crime within the specific state, get caught and sentenced to prison, it will most likely be a state prison. However, if you get caught and you are an illegal alien (meaning you are in this country illegally) your future stay in the USA is paid for by the Federal Government cause you broke a Federal Law first by coming here. (Well if not true, it should be!)
It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to police, patrol and control the International Boarders between countries, NOT the State’s unless… the Federal Government contracts with the States to police and control their specific sections of the International Boarders. Then 100% of the necessary funding for these services is Federal money.
The States (the last time I looked) did not have the ability available to them to just issue more stimulus money to address these types of expenditures as the Federal Government now does. The States should not have to worry about Federal Boundary Safeguards nor what to due with illegal aliens that they catch.