The Department of Homeland Security will end its Memorandum of Agreement with Prince William County October 16, 2009 and replace it with a new, revised 287(g) program that will attempt to make information more accessible. Additionally, how immigration arrests are handled nationally will be standardized.
According to the Manassas News and Messenger:
“[Immigration and Customs Enforcement] has made changes to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOA), terminating the original agreement and requiring execution of a new and revised MOA,” state background documents to the board, which will meet to discuss the issue at 2 p.m. at the McCoart Administration Building.
Supervisors have to authorize the police chief to sign and execute the new agreement.
The new agreement will not limit the number of officers eligible for 287(g) training and require ICE to give credentials for those who pass the course. It will also require the police department, as well as ICE, to perform background checks, according to the background documents.
Further: The new agreement states that “ICE must give approval for an immigration arrest where no state or local charges are made [and] ICE must give prior approval of planned operations where immigration enforcement is the sole function.” One more revision “provides levels and types of criminal offenses that ICE directs to be a focus, rather [than] pursuing immigration enforcement based on specific charges,” according to the background documents.
The cost of the 287(g) program to the county is not expected to change because of the new agreement, “unless additional officers are designated for training,” the background documents state.
Tomorrow the BOCS will discuss and vote on whether to authorize Chief Deane to sign a new Memorandum of Agreement with DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The agenda item is at http://www.pwcgov.org/documents/bocs/agendas/2009/1013/8-A.pdf
Fairfax and Prince William County are the only 2 jurisdictions in Virginia to have the new 287(g) agreement, if supervisors agree. Maricopa County in Arizona will have the same set of rules we do. The police dept will operate under a task force model. The ADC will operate under a dentention model.
I don’t think this means we are going to start operating like Sheriff Joe.
