FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                CONTACT:    Karla Weikal
100920090100                                                                         862-8235

 

 

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ON THOSE JAILED GOES FOR VOTE

287(g) program participation impacts public safety:  58 percent decrease in percentage of illegal immigrants arrested since program began

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will go before the Metropolitan Council Tuesday, Oct. 20.  The MOA will allow the sheriff’s office to continue participation in the 287(g) Delegation of Authority program which authorizes ICE deputies to identify, process, and detain illegal immigrants encountered in the booking process.  According to Sheriff Daron Hall, since initial approval in April 2007, the DCSO has processed more than 6,400 illegal immigrants for removal.

 

 

“This program, to me, has always been about public safety and I think the most important statistic we can point to is the percentage of illegal immigrants arrested in this community is down 58 percent since we began participation.  You can look at this number and absolutely say the 287(g) initiative is an effective law enforcement tool,” Hall said. “If we look at the first two years of data, more than 40 percent of those processed had been previously arrested.  Additionally, those 5,300 individuals from 60 countries represented 20,000 criminal charges.”

 

 

In addition, the program has removed nearly 100 known gang members and has also processed for deportation misdemeanor offenders with a history of drug trafficking, crimes against children, and illegal re-entry.  Many of these individuals prior to 287(g) would have been released back into the streets of Nashville.  They are now being prosecuted federally for their crimes.  Although Hall believes more should be done at the federal level, such as enforcing the borders, 287(g) is right for Davidson County.

 

 

“This enforcement program is not a solution to our country’s immigration problem, but it is a public safety tool that is working in Nashville.  We are not out knocking on doors or checking worksites; however, we are screening every person who is arrested by the police for another crime and brought to jail,” Hall emphasized. “I certainly hope 287(g) can continue and that the Council votes in support of this effective law enforcement program.”

 

 

Please contact your Council member about the 287(g) Delegation of Authority Program prior to the Oct. 20 vote.

 

 

 

 

 

This individual is an example of someone arrested for a misdemeanor crime locally, but the real story is beyond just the initial charge.  Inmate David Medina-Valasquez was arrested in Davidson County for a “No Driver’s License” charge with no prior Davidson County criminal history.  He entered the U.S. without inspection and was previously deported and returned to the U.S.  He is an aggravated felon and has criminal convictions of crimes against children in California.  He is currently serving a federal sentence for illegal reentry and will be deported, again, upon completion of sentence.

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