New Jersey Attorney General: ask immigration status of all charged with serious crimes

From this:

Attorney General Anne Milgram today ordered all local police officers in New Jersey to inquire about the immigration status of suspects charged with serious crimes, and to notify federal immigration authorities if there is reason to believe the suspect is in the country illegally.

The requirements, which go into effect immediately, apply to suspects arrested for specific indictable offenses and for driving while intoxicated, Milgram said. If the suspect is unable to prove he or she is legally in the United States, the police officer is required to notify Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, she said. The policy also specifies that prosecutors and courts be notified...

...The 7-page directive also sets guidelines for municipalities that apply to federal immigration officials for Section 287(g) authority, which deputizes local, county and state officers to enforce federal immigration laws. While the directive grants the full exercise of federal immigration authority at county jails and state prisons for incarcerated undocumented immigrants, Milgram said, street cops participating in 287(g) could invoke federal immigration authority only after an arrest is made...

The directive is in this PDF file; it doesn't apply to victims, witnesses, and those asking the police for help.

Immigration2007b · Wed, 08/22/2007 - 15:31 · · Importance: 1