The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Garrett, Allegany counties work with ICE to enforce law
* Expedited checks don't necessarily
result in deportment of illegal aliens

By Kevin Spradlin
PhDispatch.com
MOUNT SAVAGE, April 25 -- Allegany and Garrett county law enforcement agencies recently joined a broad partnership with the U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement.

Using a fingerprint-based electronic biometric system, staff at the two county jails can now notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ICE that would allow officials to detain persons of interest.

With ICE, the likelihood of an illegal immigrant being detained or deported is possible but not a guarantee despite the new system, said Allegany County Sheriff Craig Robertson.

"when they run (the fingerprints), if the person is a person of interest to ICE, they will notify us," Robertson said. "if we have charges on 'em, fine. If they're getting released, (ICE) can put a hold on that person" for up to 48 hours.

If local officials hear nothing else from the federal agency, the person is "apparently not a person of interest" high enough of the list of priorities to warrant further time and attention. In that case, the person would be released.

As of April 19, the system is activated in more than 1,200 jurisdictions in 41 states - more than one-third of the country. In Maryland, 22 of 24 jurisdictions have signed on.

Through March 31, the program has resulted in 242 arrests or administrative bookings of illegal aliens and 108 deportations. The figures for the local jails were not readily available. In Allegany County, Robertson figured it's a rather rare occurrence - but it does happen.

"We've had a few people that we've contacted ICE," Robertson said. "They've requested us to hold them."

Once a local law enforcement agency - be it the police departments in Cumberland, Frostburg, the Maryland State Police or another entity - makes and arrest and the suspect is taken before a court commissioner for a bond hearing, the suspect is then transported to the Allegany County Detention Center.

It's there that a live scan fingerprinting machine records the suspect's prints and sends them automatically to federal agencies. It's a process that has been expedited with new technology compared to even 10 years earlier, Robertson said.

"Years ago, you'd fingerprint somebody, put them in the mail," Robertson said. "Sometimes, it could be a month or months later before you get any type of response back. Now, the way it's set up, we can receive a response back within a half hour."

Robertson could not immediately recall recent incidents but said a couple of years ago, Allegany County sheriff's deputies stopped a vehicle on Interstate 68 and found $40,000 cash "stuck in a cereal box."

The individuals in the car gave false names.

"back in those days, you had to almost fax fingerprints if you wanted (someone) to look at them right away," Robertson said. "these machines - it speeds up our being able to check on people."

The Allegany County Detention Center had a live scan machine that was, at seven years old, "a dinosaur" but the county has secured one of the $30,000 machines - at no cost to the county - through a grant.

The capacity of the county detention center is 254. Average daily occupancy is around 160, Robertson said. But there are no plans to apply to house persons booked by ICE because the department would "have to have Spanish speaking correctional officers."

The Frederick County Sheriff's Department is the only county police agency in Maryland to house such individuals, Robertson said.