Chattanooga Times Free Press

Georgia: Immigration program changing behaviorsWritten by Perla Trevizo
Posted on 2009-06-14

DALTON, Ga. — Fifty-year-old Luis, a native of Mexico, recently traded four wheels for two after a law officer warned him he would be deported the next time he was caught driving without a driver’s license.

“I already had several tickets for driving without a license so I decided to get a bike after that,” said Luis, who asked not to be identified by his last name because he is in the country illegally and fears deportation.

Under a new state law, driving without a license equals at least two days in jail. A fourth conviction is a felony.

And because the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office is among four law enforcement agencies in Georgia participating in the 287(g) federal immigration program, landing in jail could mean deportation.

Luis and his 41-year-old friend from Guatemala, who also is in the country illegally, now ride bicycles everywhere they go, including to work and English classes.

“On one hand it has become harder for undocumented people who live here in Dalton,” he said of the program. “But on the other, there are undocumented people who do things they shouldn’t be doing and because of them all of us are affected.”

Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Wes Lynch, one of six jail enforcement officers who received the four-week 287(g) training last year, said the program isn’t a perfect solution to the problem of illegal immigration, but it is an efficient and effective approach right now.

“It would be great if local law enforcement didn’t have to be involved in this, but so far the federal government’s record for taking care of this by themselves hasn’t been exemplary,” he said.

The program has generated heated debated across the country. Critics say the program can lead to racial profiling and separating families. And a new report by the Police Foundation, a national, nonpartisan organization that says it strives to help police be more effective, questions the value of the 287(g) program. The report asserts the costs of the program can outweigh the benefits.

America Gruner, founder of the Coalition of Latino Leaders, a local organization that works with Hispanics, says fear and confusion about the program is widespread among Hispanics.

“People continue to live in fear,” she said. “They feel uncertain when or why a person can be stopped and sent to an immigration detention center.”

Hubert Williams, president of the Police Foundation, said 287(g) can be used to deport criminals, but officers need to be careful in balancing enforcing immigration laws and protecting their communities.

“The police must be very careful about immigration laws and if they choose to enforce them, they must define parameters that wouldn’t undermine their primary responsibility, which is public safety,” he said.

Lt. Lynch said officers concentrate on the most serious offenders because of their limited manpower.

“If you don’t have a license or have a suspended license, regardless of your race, if you go through (a) roadblock, you are going to get stopped … because of Georgia law you are going to come to jail,” he said.

From August through December 2008, Lt. Lynch said the officers interviewed 406 inmates, of whom 158 were processed and released to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Of those processed, 92 had a criminal charge, including an aggravated felony or an illegal re-entry to the United States.

As of June 1, officers have interviewed 554 inmates and released 180 to ICE. Of those, 169 had a criminal charge, records show.

In Whitfield County, 56 percent of the inmates interviewed between January and June under the 287(g) had traffic charges, records show.

WHAT IS THE 287 (g)?

* The program is a component of Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agreements of Cooperation in Communities to Enhance Safety and Security.

* Local officers receive training to enforce immigration law as authorized through section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

* More than 950 officers have been trained and certified through the program.

Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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