Virginia Joins ICE "Partnerships" with Local Authorities

Posted by Beth Mastin  July 28, 2008

ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) increasingly relies on local government to identify and report "criminal" illegal immigrants to federal authorities.

The trouble is, of course, in the definition of "criminal." For undocumented immigrants, their very being in the USA is, under current law, "criminal." Therefore the effect of the ICE partnership is that local law enforcement can turn in any illegal immigrants to ICE, even if the infraction that brings them to local authorities' attention is as minor as jaywalking.

Here is a story from the Washington Post that details how a new law in Virginia will require all law enforcement officials in the state to partner more closely with the state.

Nationally, about 60 jurisdictions participate in this expansive ICE partnership.

Here is a list of those jurisdictions from ICE's website

Tags: human rights, ICE, ICE Partnership communities, illigal immigrants, undocumented immigrants, Virginia
Topics: ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)