Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
U.s. Immigration
and Customs
Enforcement
Dear SheliffTanner:
Tha.llk you for your letter on behalf of the South Carolina Shcl"i'ff's Association expressing
interest in partnering with the U.S. Immigyation and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to develop a
statewide 287(g) Delegation of AuthOlity program.
As the largest investigative agency within the Depal1ment of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE is
charged with protecting national security and ensuring public safety through the aggressive
enforcement of federal immigration and customs laws across the more than 3.5 million square
miles that make up our great nation. ICE recognizes, however that we share the responsibility
of ensuring public safety with over 775 ,000 state and local law enforcement officers. One way
ICE addresses this joint goal is by building partnerships with state and local law enforcement
agencies (LEAs). To facilitate these partnersilips and work more closely witb our state and local
counterparts, ICE launched the comprehensive Agreements of Cooperation in Conununities to
Enhance Safety and Security (ACCESS) program in 2007.
ICE ACCESS serves to provide state and local LEAs an opportunity to partner wit}l ICE to
specificall y combat the immigration and customs enforcement challenges 0 f their communities.
To accompLish tilis, ICE ACCESS offers an umbrella of services and programs to assist local
LEAs \\lith interior enforcement issues. The 287(g) program that your letter referenced is only
one such component. Other programs that fall witllin the purview of ICE ACCESS include: the
Customs Cross-Designation (Title 19) Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces, Ule Law
Enforcement Support Center (LESC), Operation Community Shield, the Criminal Alien Program
(CAP), Fugitive Operations, and Rapid Repatriation.
As discussed at the initial meeting on May 29 , 2008 between representatives 6:0111 ICE and the
South Carolina Steering COl11lTlittee in Columbia, South Carolina, there are many services under
the umbrella of ICE ACCESS that would benefit both South Carolina and rCE's mission
priorities. I am pleased to share with you the following partnership opportunities thal ICE
proposes to develop with South Carolina law enforcement:
ICE proposes implementing a CAP Surge operation in South Caroli.na beginni.n g in late
June 2008 to identify every illegal alien in custody at the six county detention facilities listed
below. In addition, this Surge operation will provide all parties involved with a more accurate
assessment of the criminal illegal alien population detained in faciJitie in B eaufort, Charleston,
Spartanburg, Richland, Lexington and Greenville Counties.
www.icc.gov
Correspondence to SheriffPJ.
SheriffP.J. Tanner, South Carolina Sheriff's
ShcriWs Association
Page 2 of2
ICE proposes the use of expanded integration technology to ensure that high-risk criminal aliens
incarcerated in South Caro
Carolina
lina are identified and removed from the United States instead of
being releascd
released back into the community. ICE will continue to work closely with South Carolina
LEAs to assess those areas most in need of this initiative. The goal will bc be to implement the SCP
in areas identified as having a critical need first, with a long-term
long-tenn objective of attaining statewide
coverage,
coverage.
detennined thai
It has been detennincd that legislation will not be needed to implement the program in South
Carolina, A draft Memorandum of Agreement was forwarded to South Carolina State
Carolina. Stale officials
on May 14. 2008, and subsequent meetings are
14.2008, arc expected to follow as early as next week between
the South Carolina Department of Corrections and the South Carolina Pardons and Parole Board
to discuss
10 di scuss how this program may work for your stale.
state,
ICE also proposes holding monthly meetings with the Steering Committec.
Comminec. South Carolina
Department of Corrcctions,
Corrections, and the South Carolina Parole Service to implement the Rapid
REPA
REP AT program, as soo
soonn as possible.
Sincerely .
.
~el.)
~et.) Jim Pendcrgra
Executive Director
Office of Slate ICE.10.1221.000749
State and Local Coordination