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Use of immigration holds upon arrest taking up scarce Travis jail space

By Gritsforbreakfast

The Travis County Jail is perennially overcrowded, but the Sheriff says he would be "derelict" if he didn't voluntarily pursue policies that worsened the problem. Count me among the skeptical.At issue: Whether to put an immigration hold on immigrants who're charged with crimes upon arrest or upon conviction. After the Sheriff created a partnership with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shift to detention upon arrest, the number of beds taken up by immigration holds increased 400%, reports the Austin Statesman.The Sheriff's new policy can even "lead to the deportation of family members arrested on misdemeanor charges such as traffic offenses." These are people who, if the ICE "hold" didn't exist, a judge would have evaluated for release eligibility based on flight risk and the actual danger the pose to the public...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on May 04, 2008 (boomark / email).