Enforcement and Agencies

law: The new plan will eventually be rolled out nationwide, although it remains to be seen how many law enforcement agencies will volunteer, according to Metro News. During a news conference Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deputy director Thomas Homan and law enforcement from several Florida sheriffs' agencies said the new protocol will allow jail operators to legally comply with federal detainer requests that have drawn lawsuits. Seventeen Florida law enforcement agencies have agreed to co-operate with the federal government on immigration enforcement, offering what officials say is a template that can be used nationwide to overcome legal obstacles preventing tight working relationships. Essentially, the local agencies will hold immigrants who have been arrested for other crimes and are in the country illegally, in custody for ICE. Officials stressed that the policy targets immigrants with criminal records, or those who have been arrested. Matthew Albence, the Executive Associate Director of ICE's enforcement removal operations, said 92 per cent of the people arrested by the agency in fiscal year 2017 were either convicted of a crime, charged with a criminal offence removed from the country and re-entered, or ordered removed and then fled. The aim is to prevent the release of criminals back into the community, they said, citing cases where an immigrant facing a removal order was released from custody pending deportation, and committed crimes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.