Georgia officers trained to deport: Officials learn to check legal status

Stories we love to see: The state of Georgia making life difficult for illegal aliens.

Driver’s license bureaus and Georgia roads are becoming riskier places for illegal immigrants.

About two dozen driver’s license investigators, state troopers and GBI agents have completed federal training to determine a suspect’s legal status in the United States and, if necessary, start deportation proceedings.

Until now, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office has been the only police agency in Georgia to train with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Cobb began deporting inmates from its jail in July.

The newly trained officers —- three driver’s license fraud investigators, 14 state troopers and five Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents —- will start work over the next few months. Some are waiting for computer access to federal immigration data.

In addition, this year’s state budget provides $537,860 to hire 10 new driver’s license fraud investigators for centers across the state.

The GBI already has its three-man team in place and has started investigations, said GBI director Vernon Keenan. The state budget provided $201,996 for the positions. Two other agents who took the ICE training will be assigned to a homeland security unit separate from driver’s license issues, Keenan said.

Counterfeiters use expensive equipment to make IDs and charge a high price, he said. “They’re making everything. Immigration papers, birth certificates, Social Security cards. You name it.”

Fraud investigators at the state’s driver’s license offices see a lot of fake Social Security cards and federal I-94 documents, said Rick Miller, director of investigations for the Department of Driver Services .

From Jerry’s site and the AJC here.