By phasing out a program that authorizes local law-enforcement agencies to assist federal immigration authorities, President Barack Obama is "surrendering the battlefield," says state Rep. Will Snyder.
Snyder, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee and is running for sheriff in Martin County, called the administration's decision to defund the collaborative program "extremely unfortunate and very disappointing."
"There's a collective perception that the federal government has been wholly inept at enforcing immigration laws. One of the bright spots was this program because it empowers thousands of state and local law-enforcement personnel to aid the federal government," Snyder, R-Stuart, told Sunshine State News.
The "287(g)" program -- launched by the George W. Bush administration -- had 39 participating law-enforcement agencies in Florida, including 23 county sheriff's offices and the police departments in Miami, Clearwater and Fort Lauderdale, among others.
But the initiative has flat-lined since Obama took office, with no new local or state law-enforcement agencies joining since August 2010.
Local agencies that participate in 287(g) deploy federally trained officers working in jails or in the field to check the immigration status of suspects and place immigration holds on them.
The administration claims that its "Secure Communities" program, which checks the fingerprints of all people booked into local jails against federal immigration databases -- is the better way to go.
"The Secure Communities screening process is more consistent, efficient and cost-effective in identifying and removing criminal and other priority aliens," the Department of Homeland Security explained in its budget request.
But DHS' own inspector general found improper training and inadequate supervision at Secure Communities. And an immigration-control group said the program pales in comparison to 287(g).
"Secure Communities is less comprehensive and can identify only those aliens who have a recent record with Immigration and Customs Enforcement," said Jessica Vaughan, a researcher for the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Immigration Studies.
Vaughan estimates that 287(g) officers find about twice the number of removable aliens than Secure Communities, and do it faster.
According to internal ICE statistics, in 2010, 287(g) officers moved to deport 90 percent of the removable criminal aliens they identified. Under Secure Communities, the percentage was less than half.
Administration officials report that during its six-year lifespan, the 287(g) program has resulted in the removal of about the same number of illegal aliens as Secure Communities has -- roughly 120,000.
But there's a sizable cost differential, Vaughan says. The entire lifetime cost of 287(g) is less than one year of Secure Communities, which runs about $150 million annually, she said.
"If the feds' argument is that they cannot adequately enforce immigration laws because of manpower problems, cutting loose state assistance flies in the face of reason," Snyder said.
Snyder added that he had planned to "fully involve" the Martin County Sheriff's Office in the 287(g) program if he wins election in November.
"This decision by the (Obama) administration points to a lack of commitment to actually enforce immigration laws. They're surrendering the battlefield," said Snyder, who last year authored legislation to require Florida employers to use the federal E-Verify employment screening program. His bill never made it to the House floor.
Highlighting the scale of illegal immigration in Florida, and what can be done about it, the Collier County Sheriff's Office reported that its 34 ICE-trained officers, using the 287(g) program, wrote nearly 3,800 "detainers of removal" from 2007-2011.
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said that roughly 60 percent of inmates in the county jail during that period were illegal aliens, and that through 287(g), Collier's jail population has been reduced by almost 30 percent.
We have been very successful in removing criminal aliens from our community through our 287(g) partnership with ICE," Rambosk told Sunshine State News.
"I believe that the 287(g) partnership has program elements that make it a more comprehensive program than Secure Communities and that the 287(g) program serves as an effectiveness multiplier for both local agency resources and federal resources."
But Rambosk added, "I understand that there are local agencies that do not have the resources for this partnership and I feel that Secure Communities is a good option for those communities.
Steve Casey, executive director of the Florida Sheriffs Association, said, Many sheriffs offices in the state use the 287(g) program as an ideal way to provide essential training and resources to their deputies. The sheriffs who use the 287(g) program find it extremely helpful. It provides their offices with a tool to effectively work with ICE."
Casey said that in lieu of participating in the 287(g) program, the Polk County Sheriffs Office detention team established a program with Tampa ICE in which Polk provides a daily upload to ICE of booking information. ICE checks for known or suspected illegals, then PCSO sets up telephone interviews with them directly.
"If the 287(g) program is phased out, it may affect the PCSO program with ICE if they are overwhelmed due to the elimination of 287(g). This increased workload for ICE will create a delay in getting immigrants interviewed who are housed in the jail," Casey predicted.
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
