New jail policy yields results - Costa Mesa's focus on immigration status of inmates, begun last year, results in 360 people being deported so far.
In the year since Costa Mesa became the first Southern California city to have a federal immigration officer at its jail full time, 360 suspects who were in the country illegally have been deported.
The statistics cap a year in which illegal immigration has been a focus of the City Council.
"I'm glad to see the federal government is helping us uphold the law. I'm sure victims of crime are pleased that members of the criminal element are being removed from the community," Councilman Eric Bever said.
In late 2005, Mayor Allan Mansoor gained national attention when he sought to have local police enforce immigration laws in the city of 110,000 people.
Instead, he accepted help in December 2006 from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is now checking the immigration status of inmates. Following Costa Mesa's lead, Anaheim, Fullerton and Los Angeles County jails also have federal agents, said Jim Hayes, director of ICE's Southern California field office.
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties have entered into agreements with the federal agency to train sheriff's deputies to enforce immigration law.
Mansoor did not return repeated calls seeking comment.
ICE statistics show that 520 suspects in the Costa Mesa jail were referred to the agency and that 360 of those were deported. One hundred fourteen are "going through proceedings that will lead to their removal," Hayes said. The other 46 will go before a judge after they complete their jail sentences.
Hayes said the problem is that some of these people will sneak back into the United States. Already, 12 have been rearrested, he added.
Of the Costa Mesa suspects referred to ICE, 39% were charged with felonies, he said. Among those, 51 were arrested on drug charges; 28 on suspicion of assault and battery, which includes domestic violence; 19 on felony warrants; 17 on suspicion of burglary; and 10 on suspicion of theft, Police Sgt. Mark Manley said.
Police arrested about 34% of the 520 suspects on charges of misdemeanors or infractions. Of those, 44 were suspected of driving under the influence, 32 of being drunk in public and 29 of driving without a valid license.
Individuals cited with a ticket for a minor offense may be taken to the jail when they are not carrying identification. In the jail, their immigration status is checked. Previously, those checks were spotty or occurred only after an inmate was taken to the Orange County Jail.
