23 illegal aliens deported so far
Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill said he has no problem with people coming to Polk County to make an honest living, but he is not going to stand for people coming to this area from other countries to commit crimes.
The sheriff’s office since last year has partnered with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through a Secure Communities Initiative to deport criminals.
Hill said in 2010, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office deported 14 criminals and so far this year, the office has deported nine criminals. Just recently, Hill said three illegal aliens were deported.
“We don’t go out and round people up,” Hill said. “The people who are deported are ones arrested for crimes.”
Hill explained that when people are arrested, they are fingerprinted. The partnership with ICE enables the sheriff’s office to send prints to a database of illegal immigrants. If the prints match an illegal immigrant, ICE notifies the sheriff’s office. The sheriff then keeps the subject in custody for ICE officers to pick up.
Hill said one subject the sheriff’s office detained from Mexico had about 40 aliases, so fingerprinting was the only way to know his true identity.
“I don’t mind people coming here to make an honest living,” Hill said. “What we’re looking for are the ones who have criminal records. My job is to protect the citizens of Polk County and I don’t think they need to be here if they are going to commit crimes. We have enough people within and outside this county committing crimes.”
Hill joined the Secure Communities Initiative after being elected sheriff, joining many other county sheriffs throughout North Carolina.
Hill said illegal immigrants are deported for crimes such as driving while impaired, misdemeanor drug possessions and driving while license revoked. Those who commit major crimes here are tried here then deported after the trial.
The ICE program has different levels and some deportations depend on what the suspect is wanted for elsewhere. Many times, Hill said, the suspect has committed worse crimes in his or her own country.
Hill also said suspects he has deported are not just from Mexico. He said one illegal alien in Polk County was from India.
Hill said he sees no point in housing illegal immigrants in the Polk County jail because of the costs to the taxpayers.
It costs between $40 and $75 per day to house an inmate in a county jail, Hill said.
“Why should I make the taxpayers pay for them to stay in our jail when they’re here illegally committing crimes?” asked Hill.
The program the sheriff’s office joined is a partnership with ICE on its Secure Communities Initiative to improve and modernize efforts to identify and remove criminal aliens from the United States, according to the Secure Communities website.
Secure Communities includes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice and state, tribal and local law enforcement.