Dan Genz, The Examiner
2008-04-21 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Federal agents in just over a week removed more than 100 suspected illegal immigrants from the Prince William County jail, eliminating the immigration-related overcrowding at the Manassas facility.

The loading up of detainees in repeated trips since April 10 answered complaints from the jailhouse and Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., that the federal government was not living up to its 2007 contract with the county and taking weeks to remove inmates who should have been removed in days.

“Their response has been excellent,” said Patrick Hurd, the jail board chairman whose March 22 letter warned Immigration and Customs Enforcement that officials could be forced to release illegal immigrants without prompt federal attention because the jail had become so overcrowded.

“On April 10, we were sitting on 120 a day, and now we’re at 29,” he said Wednesday. Another pickup by ICE officials Thursday helped the jail move closer to its goal of having no inmates awaiting federal removal.

ICE has planned twice-weekly efforts to remove illegal immigrants and will better monitor the program, spokeswoman Ernestine Fobbs said.

The agency also has appointed a supervisor to work full time with the facility to ensure that the program moves smoothly, Meletis said.

As a result, the daily population of the overcrowded Manassas jail has dropped by 10 percent, allowing the jail to transfer fewer overflow inmates to other facilities. While the recent removals will reduce the need for housing inmates in other jails around the state, including in Winchester and Emporia, they will not eliminate the need for housing inmates elsewhere, because the jail system remains 200 inmates over capacity.

Removing the inmates could result in cost savings for the federal government, as the jail is requesting an 80 percent increase in the cost of housing illegal immigrants.

Hurd said the jail board needs to raise the daily rate from $64 to $115 to reflect the true cost of housing inmates in the jail, increasing an expense that had not budged for about a decade. He added, “We’re not looking to making any money off of the deal.”

dgenz@dcexaminer.com