More than 10,000 immigrants (including green-card holders) were taken from the New York region to detention centers in 2007. There are allegations of federal criminal violations against them or are accused of different crimes.
According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement source, statistics indicate that the number of green-card holders arrested for deportation is 43 percent greater than in 2007 and that activities to check the background of those who are presently imprisoned in federal, state and local facilities have been stepped up as well.
The practice of not releasing the undocumented or green card holders after serving their prison sentences has been restored at Riker Island. Last year from Riker Island prison alone, 7,000 immigrants were handed over to the immigration authorities, according to the officials; however, not until November 3 could it be ascertained how many of them were actually deported.
Homeland Security Department recently introduced Secure Community, a pilot program to send serious criminal immigrants to their native country as quickly as possible. Through this program police officers are got FBI-like power to check the backgrounds of possible suspects, and in particular to check the immigration status of immigrants. Secure Community was introduced on experimental basis in five counties in Texas and North Carolina. This year there is a plan to expand the program in 45 cities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson Richard Rocha confirmed that the program will expand across the country during next four years, but could not say when NYPD officers will be trained. The pilot project was introduced not just to expel immigrants, said Rocha, but in the interest of making the community safe, pointing out that people would feel secure if dangerous offenders are tracked and expelled.
Assistant Secretary of the Homeland Security Department (HSD) Julie Myers told the press that the matter of good relations between HSD and the FBI in tracking criminals among the immigrant communities will play key role in this program and help local police officers, particularly to catch those who are engaged in various criminal activities using fake social security numbers or identity cards.
While many consider the project to be a revolutionary change for the tracking of criminals, immigrant rights advocates express deep concern. Jennie Roseville, of Families for Freedom, attributes the deterioration of the true American spirit to such programs and voiced her worry that green-card holders would be forced from the country for insubstantial offences.
Meanwhile, our immigration source informed us that at the close of the 2008 fiscal year, which ended on September 30, a total of 221,000 immigrants were taken to jail on different charges. This number is 34.7 percent higher than in the 2007 fiscal year.
Meanwhile, Sholom Rubashkin, the chief executive director of Agriprocessors, Inc., in Iowa, the largest meet processing plant in America, was arrested for employing undocumented immigrants. In May, 2008, 400 undocumented immigrants were arrested in a raid on the plant. A government source said that he was released on bail after giving bond of $1 million. If convicted, he may be sentenced to 22 years in jail.
