287(g)

Deportations, by county

bniolet — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:56:41 -0500

According to the N.C. Sheriffs' Association, seven counties have flagged some 3,182 people who are now in deportation proceedings.

The counties are participating in the 287(g) program, which gives local authorities some ability to enforce federal immigration law.

Mecklenburg County found some 1,693 people in its jail who are now in deportation proceedings or have been deported. Wake County, which joined the program this year, found 485.

Cumberland and Henderson also joined the program this year.

Those interviewed were in the county jail. According to the sheriffs' association, those facing deportation were charged with 3,654 offenses. Here's how those break down:

— 1,600 (44 percent) criminal violations ranging from murder to tresspassing

— 849 (23 percent) impaired driving

— 1,215 (33 percent) traffic violations

Document(s):
287(g)_by_county.pdf

Sheriffs flag 3,100 for removal

bniolet — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:19:36 -0500

Seven counties participating in a program designed to flag illegal immigrants in county jails have flagged for deportation proceedings more than 3,100 people since January.

That figure represents 70 percent of the 4,500 prisoners interviewed in the seven jails that are participating in a federal program designed to allow county and local officials to help enforce federal immigration laws, said Eddie Caldwell, executive vice president and general counsel of the N.C. Sheriffs' Association.

Caldwell's gave the figures for the seven counties as part of a presentation to a legislative oversight committee on crime and corrections.

Under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1996, local law enforcement agencies can be granted authority to handle immigration. The seven counties participating in the program are Alamance, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Gaston, Henderson, Mecklenburg and Wake.

On Jan. 1, a law went into effect requiring jail operators to try to determine the residency status of anyone arrested for impaired driving or a felony. But the counties participaing in the federal partnership have much greater access to federal immigration resources.

More after the jump.

Correction: Post and headline have been updated to reflect that it's the federal partnership, not the state law, that most directly led to the removal proceedings.

Robocall targets Hagan on immigration

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:23:43 -0400

Another robocall targets Kay Hagan on illegal immigration.

Freedom's Watch, a Washington-based conservative advocacy group, is making automated calls to North Carolina voters that say the Democratic Senate candidate is soft on illegal immigration.

"We all know illegal immigration is a serious problem across America, and in North Carolina, we're playing host to as many as 500,000 illegal aliens," a male voice says. "So what does Kay Hagan think about that? She opposes a program to find, track and deport criminal illegal aliens."

The caller then says Hagan has "major concerns" with the 287(g) program, which allows sheriff's deputies to begin deportation proceedings on illegal immigrants, a process normally handled entirely by the federal government.

Hagan has said that she supports enrolling all North Carolina counties in the program, but she has also argued that the federal government should pay for immigration enforcement, not the states.

She's also said it creates a "patchwork" of uneven enforcement, calling it a "Band-Aid solution."

Update: A spokesman for Freedom's Watch said they made a "substantial" number of calls.

He said they were considering a second call on energy issues, especially offshore drilling.

After the jump, the script.

Claims Dept: Dole on 'Fibber Kay'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:20:08 -0400

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole has a new ad attacking her Democratic rival, Kay Hagan.

What the ad says: The ad begins with images of a small dog barking and jumping at a fence. Narrator: "They call her 'Fibber Kay Hagan.' Fib after fib, she tries to turn us against Elizabeth Dole. But we know Elizabeth has been consistently voted one of the 10 most admired women in the world. Her clout works wonders for North Carolina. So bark away Fibber Kay. That dog don't hunt." Dole: "I'm Elizabeth Dole and I approve this message." Text on the screen says Dole "saved jobs," "saved bases," "saved farmers" and "helped sheriffs."

The background: The ad does not specify who "they" are who call Hagan "Fibber Kay."

The Dole campaign said they did not come up with the nickname, but they did not know who did.

"We're not sure who coined it, but we hear people call Kay Hagan 'Fibber Kay' on the campaign trail and we hear it frequently," said spokesman Hogan Gidley.

A search of North Carolina newspapers, blogs and Web sites did not return any references to "Fibber Kay" from before the ad began airing, and nearly all written since were about the ad itself.

The ad does not name any of the supposed "fibs" that Hagan has made.

MOST ADMIRED: Every year since 1948, the Gallup organization has surveyed a random group of Americans on the men and women in the world they most admire.

As secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation under President Reagan, Dole first made the top 10 in 1987, returning three years later as secretary of the Labor department.

Though she received votes in other years, she returned to the top 10 as the wife of presidential candidate Bob Dole and president of the American Red Cross. Between 1996 and 2003, she was ranked between third and tenth place.

She also landed in ninth place in 2005, but she has not been on the list in the last two years.

She was in the top 10 a total of 11 times — the same number as the poet Maya Angelou and news anchor Barbara Walters.

JOBS AND BASES: The U.S. Department of Defense announced a round of base closings and other changes in 2005 as part of a regular program begun at the end of the Cold War. The multi-year process is designed to be insulated from political pressure.

Some North Carolina leaders had feared the loss of thousands of jobs — something that never materialized. A number of politicians, including Dole and Democratic Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, have claimed credit for North Carolina's relative success, but there is no way to quantify how much each helped.

FARMERS: In 2004, Congress and President Bush approved a buyout of the Depression-era system of price supports — or quotas — for tobacco leaf. Cigarette companies financed the buyout, passing on the costs to consumers.

The buyout is designed to put $9.6 billion into the pockets of quota owners and growers over 10 years. Some farmers have used the money to reinvest in the crop, while others chose to change crops or retire.

Dole supported the buyout during her 2002 campaign and was a vocal advocate in Congress, along with other senators from tobacco-growing states.

SHERIFFS: Since 1996, the federal government has offered a test program for sheriff's deputies to investigate illegal immigration.

Though immigration enforcement is typically handled by the federal government, the goal of the 287(g) program is to start deportation proceedings on illegal immigrants who are arrested for non-immigration related crimes.

In North Carolina, a handful of sheriffs' offices, including Mecklenburg and Wake counties, have signed up for the program, which Dole has promoted.

The federal government pays for the cost of training deputies in immigration enforcement and grants sheriffs' offices access to immigration records.

Is the ad accurate? There is no way to verify the "Fibber Kay" nickname or who coined it and no evidence it has been used. Dole has been consistently ranked among the most admired women in the world. Though the ad's claims are vague, Dole did help farmers and sheriffs in Congress, but there is no way to quantify her role in saving the state's military bases.

— Ryan Teague Beckwith and David Ingram

Claims Dept: Dole's response

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:39:52 -0400

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's campaign has a new ad responding to an earlier ad responding to an earlier ad from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

What the ad says: The ad begins with a clip from an anti-Dole ad: "'I'm telling you Liddy Dole is 93.' '93?'" It moves to a profile image of Dole and then images of people involved with the military, farming and law enforcement. Narrator: "Does Kay Hagan think we believe that? Elizabeth Dole's got firepower. She just received the Best of Congress award. She saved our military bases and thousands of jobs -- saved our farmers -- and gave sheriffs tools to fight illegal immigration." Person on a park bench: "She's dedicated her life to helping us." Dole: "I'm Elizabeth Dole, and I approved this message."

The background: The opening clip is from an ad paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, an independent group legally prohibited from coordinating with Kay Hagan's campaign. It is not a Hagan ad, though Hagan has made the same criticism.

DOLE AT 93: The "93" criticism refers to an annual study conducted since 2005 by the Congressional data service Knowlegis. The study ranks members of Congress on their power.

After scoring in the middle of the pack the first two years, Dole's rating plummeted to 93rd when Republicans became the minority in the Senate in 2007.

Her rating was also low due to fewer mentions in the news media and service on less powerful committees on banking and armed services.

Dole's campaign says those committees are important to North Carolina, home to a number of banks and military bases.

BEST OF CONGRESS: Working Mother magazine named Dole one of the "Best of Congress" in August. The award is not a general look at effectiveness. It measures lawmakers' support for issues important to working mothers, including medical leave, and their support for "family-friendly" policies in their own offices.

Fifty lawmakers applied for the award. The magazine gave it to 24 of them.

MILITARY BASES: The U.S. Department of Defense announced a round of base closings and other changes in 2005 as part of a regular program begun at the end of the Cold War. The multi-year process is designed to be insulated from political pressure.

Dole supported the buyout during her 2002 campaign and was a vocal advocate in Congress, along with other senators from tobacco-growing states.

SHERIFFS: Since 1996, the federal government has offered a test program for sheriff's deputies to investigate illegal immigration.

In North Carolina, a handful of sheriffs' offices, including Mecklenburg and Wake counties, have signed up for the program, which Dole has promoted.

The federal government pays for the cost of training deputies in immigration enforcement and grants sheriffs' offices access to immigration records.

Is the ad accurate? The ad implies incorrectly that Hagan's campaign sponsored the ad attacking Dole. It also omits any detail on the "Best of Congress" award, and there is no way to quantify her role in helping the state's military bases. Otherwise, it is accurate.

— David Ingram and Ryan Teague Beckwith

Claims Dept: Hagan on 287(g)

ryanteaguebeckwith — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:30:18 -0400

State Sen. Kay Hagan, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, said she supports a program that helps sheriff's deputies work on immigration, but criticized the cost to the state at a debate today.

What she said: "The 287(g) program is an unfunded federal mandate. Immigration is a federal issue. It is not a state issue."

The background: Since 1996, the federal government has offered a pilot program for sheriff’s deputies to investigate illegal immigration.

In North Carolina, a handful of local sheriff's offices, including Wake County, have signed up for the program, which has been promoted by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

The federal government pays for the cost of training deputies in immigration enforcement and grants sheriff's offices access to immigration records.

In 2007, the state legislature gave the N.C. Sheriffs' Association $750,000 to pay for additional support for the 287(g) program. Hagan, as a leader on the Senate budget committee, was instrumental in getting that funding in the state budget, according to her campaign.

This year's proposed state budget includes an increase to $1 million, although the association did not spend its entire allocation last year.

The Sheriffs' Association is a private professional organization that provides training and support services and lobbies on behalf of the state's 100 sheriffs.

Although Hagan supports enrolling all 100 North Carolina counties in the 287(g) program, her campaign argued that the federal government should pay for immigration enforcement, not the states.

"Immigration is a federal issue — the onus is on the federal government to find a solution that will be implemented across all 50 states instead of a few select counties," Hagan spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan said in an e-mail.

Is the claim true? No. The 287(g) program is voluntary, so it is not a federal mandate.

Hagan: Dole not tackled immigration

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:13:13 -0400

Kay Hagan's campaign says U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole has not handled illegal immigration.

In an e-mail to Dome, a staffer for the Democratic Senate nominee responded to a recent comment from Dole's campaign that Hagan has not worked on immigration issues until recently.

Spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan said that it was Dole who has not acted.

"The simple fact is that this is an economic and national security crisis completely of Washington's own creation," she wrote. "When (Dole) had the chance to craft comprehensive immigration legislation to get this problem under control, she walked away without looking back. This crisis has only gotten worse on Dole's watch, leaving states like NC to step up and fend for themselves."

Flanagan also quoted Dole's "hometown paper" against her, noting that the Salisbury Post wrote in an editorial Sunday that the 287(g) program "uses local money to solve a federal problem — one that Congress (including Dole) has failed to fix."

Dome found one bill on immigration cosponsored by Hagan during her time in the state Senate. The 2003 bill, which never made it out of committee, would have directed the Legislative Research Commission to study "all issues related to immigration."

Dole: Deport illegal immigrants

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:39:48 -0400

Illegal immigrants arrested in North Carolina are being deported like never before, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole said at a press conference today.

"If they're thinking of coming to North Carolina to commit crimes, they darn well better not do it," Dole said. "Because we're going to catch them."

Dole held the press conference along with four county sheriffs just days after her Democratic opponent Kay Hagan held a meeting with sheriffs to discuss immigration, Kristin Collins reports. Dole says she has been the leader in calling for a crackdown on criminal illegal immigrants.

With Dole's support, sheriff's departments in North Carolina have teamed up with federal immigration officials to help deport illegal immigrants who come through county jails through a program called 287(g). Dole said about 500 people a month are now being deported with the help of North Carolina's local law enforcement.

Three sheriff's departments — in Wake, Henderson and Cumberland counties — are now training for a federal immigration program that will allow them to check the immigration status of their jail inmates and begin deportation proceedings.

Four sheriff's departments and the Durham Police Department already have the program. North Carolina is among the leading states in the nation for participation in the program.

Claims Dept: Dole on immigration

bkrueger — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:25:59 -0400

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who is seeking re-election, has a new tv ad talking about her efforts to help North Carolina sheriffs battle illegal immigration, reports Rob Christensen.

What the ad says: Dole: “I’m Elizabeth Dole, and I approved this message.”

Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell: “The politicians talk and talk about illegal immigration, but Senator Dole actually did something about it.”

Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis: “She wanted to meet with sheriffs — and she did.”

Rowan County Sheriff George A. Wilhelm: “Went all over North Carolina.”

Unidentified voices: “Raeford, Greensboro, Hendersonville, Lexington, Mocksville, Salisbury.”

Davidson County Sheriff David Grice: “Most of us didn’t have the tools to identify and apprehend the illegal immigrants who were repeatedly committing crimes … ”

Davie County Sheriff Andy Stokes: “ ... the ones who are tough, hardened criminals.”

Lee County Sheriff Tracy Carter: “So, Senator Dole works out a solution ... ”

Rockingham Sheriff Samuel Page: “... a statewide partnership between federal officials and North Carolina’s sheriffs ... ”

Guilford County Sheriff B.J. Barnes: “... to give us access to the federal tools to identify, apprehend ... ”

Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson: “ ... and deport these repeat criminals.”

Randolph County Sheriff Maynard Reid Jr: “It’s the first statewide program like this.”

Hoke County Sheriff Hubert A. Peterkin: “She is one tough lady ... ”

Unidentified voice: “ ... with major-league clout.”

Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck: “I’m sure glad she’s from North Carolina.”

The background: In October, Dole announced a partnership between North Carolina sheriffs and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to train participating sheriff’s offices to allow them to check the immigration status of criminal suspects and to hold suspects here illegally for deportation proceedings.

Four of North Carolina’s 100 sheriff’s offices — in Alamance, Cabarrus, Gaston and Mecklenburg counties — and the Durham Police Department have signed up for what is known as the (287g) program, according to ICE.

Several other counties, including Wake, have applied for the program. Participation is limited to larger counties because they have the jail space, said Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell, president of the statewide sheriffs association.

The oldest program in the state is sponsored by the sheriff’s office in the Mecklenburg County. There, federal officials have begun deportation proceedings against 4,333 people who are in the U.S. illegally — about 90 percent of whom had been arrested for misdemeanors.

There are 47 (287g) programs with local law enforcement around the country, with Arizona and Virginia having more programs than North Carolina.

What makes North Carolina’s effort the first of its kind is that the statewide sheriffs association has formed a partnership with federal immigration authorities. In other states, the agreements have been with individual departments.

Is the ad accurate? Yes. But, considering the numbers for Mecklenburg County showing that it has overwhelmingly dealt with people arrested for misdemeanors, it’s not clear that the program is dealing with “tough, hardened criminals.”

Dole to hold immigration roundtable

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:16:18 -0400

A day after Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan held her immigration roundtable with sheriffs, Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole is scheduling her own.

Dole will meet with sheriffs Thursday afternoon in Graham. She’ll get an update of the 287(g) federal program that allows local law enforcement agencies to detain illegal immigrants, Barb Barrett reports.

The Salisbury Republican, who is seeking re-election in November, has been working nearly a year on her project to link N.C. sheriffs with federal immigration agents. Alamance County has been a major user of the program.

Hagan held her meeting Tuesday in Raleigh. There, she heard both from sheriffs who advocate the program and from those who worry it marginalizes Hispanics and hurts poor immigrants who take jobs that Americans might not want.