Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran has sent a shock wave through an
already fearful immigrant community by announcing that he intends to step up
measures to have undocumented people deported. By releasing the
outcomes of internal audit of the county's prison population - which
revealed that roughly 20 percent of inmates are foreign born - Curran
expressed hope that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will
give priority to the county's application for "287(g)" status.
That designation would allow local authorities who are investigating violent crimes, human smuggling, gang activity, sex offenses, drug smuggling, or money laundering cases to initiate the deportation process typically handled by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). So far, 50 municipalities across the country have been awarded the status. While Waukegan and Carpentersville have also applied, Lake County is hoping to become the first here in Illinois.
The audit findings were presented with a jarring message from Curran who said he's ready to put an end to "the terror inflicted by many of these illegal aliens," which he blamed, in part, on Mayor Daley and Cook County officials who have advised local authorities to stay out of immigration issues. After interviewing a majority of Lake County's 137 foreign-born inmates, federal authorities found that only 75 had committed offenses or had an immigration status that was relevant under 287(g).
"Sheriff Curran is lumping together murderers and people who were caught driving without a license ... That concerns me," said Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "He's messaging that all immigrants are dangerous and waste taxpayer money."
