Burning Atlanta

Me happy. Me very happy. Love to see this and hope the day will come, soon, where this is the law of the land.

Thank you, Beaufort

Every suspected illegal immigrant booked in the Beaufort County jail since the beginning of the month -- regardless of the severity of the crime -- is being turned over to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

It's called Operation Surge, and

local law enforcement officials say it's the start of a major new crackdown

on illegal immigrants in the county, home to one of the largest Hispanic communities in the state.

So far this month, 55 inmates are being held for ICE, compared with 16 in June. ICE is a branch of the Department of Homeland Security formerly known as Immigration and Naturalization Services.

ICE used to put priority on people who had committed serious crimes. Suspected illegal immigrants charged with minor offenses such as driving without a license and other traffic violations were released on bond, often never to be seen again, authorities said.

Now, the county is holding every suspected illegal immigrant regardless of the charge.