|
|
| Bay Area sheriffs could lose more than $8 million used to jail illegal immigrants |
| By mercurynews.com |
| Published: 05/21/2009 |
|
By Matt O'Brien Contra Costa Times REDWOOD CITY — A federal program that reimbursed Bay Area jails more than $8 million last year for incarcerating illegal immigrants is on President Barack Obama's chopping block. For the Obama administration, the $400 million State Criminal Alien Assistance Program represents money better spent elsewhere. But California jails and prisons receive more than a third of the money and the officials who run them want it back in the budget. "That would be a big loss for us," said San Mateo County Sheriff Greg Munks. "We've come to rely on the (program) to help offset the cost of housing undocumented folks." In their applications to be reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Bay Area's nine county sheriffs reported that their jails last year held 9,200 suspected illegal immigrants who had committed at least one crime and spent at least four nights in local custody. The actual number was less than that amount. Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement who evaluated the reports could confirm that only about 3,000 of those inmates were eligible for reimbursement, meaning they were definitely illegal immigrants. An additional 1,700 were definitely not. Based on the numbers, Bay Area counties earned a total of $8.1 million last year and $71 million since 2000. The role of the 15-year-old program is to offset the costs of housing inmates who have committed local crimes but are considered the federal government's Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think