ICE ANNOUNCES STANDARDIZED 287(g) AGREEMENTS WITH 67 STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS

WASHINGTON-Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) John Morton today announced standardized Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) with 67 state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in 287(g) partnerships-improving public safety by prioritizing criminal aliens who are a threat to local communities, ensuring consistent and uniform policies and providing a force multiplier for ICE’s immigration enforcement efforts across the country.

(Media-Newswire.com) – WASHINGTON-Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) John Morton today announced standardized Memorandums of Agreement ( MOAs ) with 67 state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in 287( g ) partnerships-improving public safety by prioritizing criminal aliens who are a threat to local communities, ensuring consistent and uniform policies and providing a force multiplier for ICE’s immigration enforcement efforts across the country.

“Coordinating with our state and local partners is important to smart and effective enforcement of our immigration laws,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. “These new agreements promote public safety by prioritizing the identification and removal of dangerous criminal aliens and ensure consistency and stronger federal oversight of state and local immigration law enforcement efforts across the nation. The rules set forth in these agreements will enhance our efforts to work together effectively with our local partners.”

“These new partnerships are an essential tool for law enforcement to identify and remove dangerous criminal aliens from local communities,” said Assistant Secretary Morton. “Standardizing these agreements allows us to better use the resources and capabilities of our law enforcement partners, facilitates accountability and ensures that all participating jurisdictions are following uniform standards throughout the country.”

The state and local law enforcement partnerships announced today conform to the standardized 287( g ) MOA announced by Secretary Janet Napolitano and Assistant Secretary Morton in July-strengthening ICE’s overall immigration enforcement strategy by aligning local operations with ICE’s major priorities, specifically the identification and removal of criminal aliens.

The 287( g ) program acts as a force multiplier, training officers from local jurisdictions to carry out smart, effective immigration enforcement efforts aligned with ICE priorities. Throughout the country, 1,075 local officers have been trained through 287( g )-bolstering national immigration enforcement efforts and saving hundreds of millions of dollars.

From January 2009 to date, 287( g )-trained local officers are credited with the removal of approximately 24,000 aliens nationwide and have identified 48 percent more criminal aliens than during the same period in 2008.

The new partnerships include the Jail Model, in which local law enforcement agencies designate Jail Enforcement Officers to identify aliens already incarcerated within their detention facilities who are eligible for removal, as well as the Federal Task Force Model, in which agencies designate officers to work with Federal agents in locating, processing and removing criminal aliens from the United States.

55 agreements have been signed by ICE and the partnering agency;
12 agreements have been reached and await approval by the local jurisdiction’s supervisory authority; and
Six agreements have negotiations underway.
Six jurisdictions did not re-sign the new 287( g ) agreement or withdrew during negotiations for a variety of reasons, including implementation of the Secure Communities program, budgetary constraints and limited program utilization.

The new MOA clearly defines the objectives of the 287( g ) program, outlines the immigration enforcement authorities granted by the agreement and provides guidelines for ICE’s supervision of local agency officer operations-including information reporting and tracking, complaint procedures, and implementation measures.

To address concerns that individuals may be arrested for minor offenses as a guise to initiate removal proceedings, the new agreement requires participating local law enforcement agencies to pursue all criminal charges that originally caused the offender to be taken into custody.

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act ( IIRAIRA ) of 1996 added Section 287( g ) to the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes the DHS Secretary to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to perform immigration officer functions. Pursuant to these agreements, designated officers who receive appropriate training and function under the supervision of sworn ICE officers are permitted to perform immigration law enforcement duties.

— ICE —

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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The new agreements announced today fall into three categories:

55 agreements have been signed by ICE and the partnering agency:

AL Etowah County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

AL Alabama Department of Public Safety Task Force

AZ Pima County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

AZ Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

AZ AZ Department of Corrections Jail Enforcement

AZ AZ Department of Public Safety Task Force

AZ Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

AZ Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

AR Benton County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

AR Rogers Police Department Task Force

AR Washington County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

AR City of Springdale Police Department Task Force

CO El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

CT City of Danbury Police Department Task Force

DE Delaware Department of Corrections Jail Enforcement

FL Bay County Sheriff’s Office Task Force

FL Collier County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

FL FL Department of Law Enforcement Task Force

GA Hall County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

GA Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

GA Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

GA Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

MD Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

MN MN Department of Public Safety Task Force

MO MO State Highway Patrol Task Force

NV Las Vegas Metropolitan PD Jail Enforcement

Office of Public Affairs

U.S. Department of

Homeland Security

NH Hudson City Police Department Task Force

NJ Hudson County Department of Corrections Jail Enforcement

NJ Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

NC Durham Police Department Task Force

NC Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

NC Gaston County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

NC Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

NC Wake County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

NC Alamance County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

NC Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

OH Butler County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

OK Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

RI Rhode Island State Police Task Force

SC Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Task Force

SC York County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

TN TN Highway Patrol/Department of Public Safety Task Force

TX Carrollton Police Department Jail Enforcement

TX Farmers Branch Police Dept. Task Force

UT Washington County Sheriff Office Jail Enforcement

UT Weber County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

VA Herndon Police Department Task Force

VA Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Task Force

VA Manassas Police Department Task Force

VA Manassas Park Police Department Task Force

VA Prince William County Police Department Task Force

VA Prince William County Sheriff’s Office Task Force

VA Prince William-Manassas Adult Detention Center Jail Enforcement

VA Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

VA Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office Jail & Task Force

12 agreements have been reached and await approval by the local jurisdiction’s
supervisory authority:

AZ City of Mesa Police Department Task Force

AZ City of Phoenix Police Department Task Force

AZ Florence Police Department Task Force

CA San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

CO CO Department of Public Safety Task Force

FL Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

GA GA Department of Public Safety Task Force

NC Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Task Force

RI Rhode Island Department of Corrections Jail Enforcement

SC Charleston County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

TN Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

TX Harris County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

Six agreements have negotiations underway:

CA Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

CA Orange County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

CA Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

MA MA Department of Corrections Jail Enforcement

NJ Morristown Police Department Task Force

Office of Public Affairs

U.S. Department of

Homeland Security

NM NM Department of Corrections Jail Enforcement

Six jurisdictions did not re-sign or withdrew during negotiations for a variety of
reasons, including implementation of the Secure Communities program, budgetary

constraints and limited program utilization:

FL Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

FL Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

MA Framingham Police Department Task Force

NC Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Jail Enforcement

NV City of Mesquite Police Department Jail Enforcement

TX Houston Police Department Jail Enforcement

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