08-24-2007, 02:34 PM
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#25
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Guest
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Or better yet... these guys.
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?...ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==
Quote:
Such a directive very likely would have kept Jose Carranza, one of several people charged in the Aug. 4 killings of three Newark college students, behind bars after previous charges for child rape and aggravated assault, Milgram said. Carranza, from Peru, had been free on bail when the slayings occurred.
Essex County authorities said they were unaware of his status at the time of the two earlier arrests. But they also said their policy had been to notify immigration authorities only after a conviction, not an arrest.
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Quote:
"This is not about immigration -- it's about crimes," Milgram said during an interview after the news conference. "At the end of the day, the foremost question is a public safety question."
Illegal immigrants suspected of serious crimes can be a flight risk, the attorney general said. Immigration officials have the power to detain an illegal immigrant based on the civil violation of being in the United States unlawfully, pending the prosecution of criminal charges.
"You want to make sure the federal government knows, and the county and local prosecutors know, [a suspect's immigration status]," Milgram said. "It's relevant to bail considerations whether an individual has sufficient ties to the community."
Wednesday's directive requires that police check the citizenship, nationality and immigration status of suspects during the booking process for charges linked to serious crimes and for driving while intoxicated. An officer who finds or suspects illegal status must contact immigration officials, as well as the prosecuting agency and the courts.
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