The Charlotte Observer
GASTONIA, North Carolina -- Faced with a growing jail population of illegal immigrants, Gaston County Sheriff Alan Cloninger announced Friday that his department will join a federal program that allows local law enforcement officers to screen for illegal immigrants and place them in deportation proceedings.
The Gaston County Sheriff's Office will become the eighth law enforcement agency in the country to join the program.
Cloninger made the announcement at a congressional hearing in Gastonia on how local authorities can combat illegal immigration.
The 287(g) program, as it is known, gives local officers access to ICE's database of fingerprints and photographs.
Posted by Richard at August 27, 2006