Burning Atlanta

COBB COUNTY - The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has picked up 2,746 inmates from Cobb County Jail between January and October of this year, Sheriff Neil Warren said.

Deputies and ICE have also placed immigration holds and started initial deportation proceedings for 2,922 who are incarcerated at the jail and another 4,568 foreign-born inmates have been interviewed during the same time frame. Deputies book in about 40,000 people a year at the jail, Warren said.

"I think the numbers show the program is working. I know when we first started we had a lot more than that," Warren said.

Warren signed Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act in July 2007. Deputies can use the program to identify illegal immigrants who have been charged with committing crimes in Cobb.

Community activist and Director of the Cobb Immigrant Alliance Richard Pellegrino of Mableton doesn't like the program. AKA: Pro-illegal weasel spewing the standard bullshit.

"The program is overkill. There are already state and federal laws in place to enable the sheriff's department to identify undocumented immigrants who commit felonies to initiate deportation proceedings against them. 287(g) makes a department target everyone, including those picked up for minor violations," he said.

Pellegrino said the program could destroy families and trust between the police and the community.

"There's a large increase of unreported crimes," Pellegrino said. "I don't think Sheriff Warren or Sam Olens or anyone else anticipated that to happen. It's the unintended consequence of 287(g). It undermines law and order - something they work for." Excuse me? Got any hard numbers to support that contention or is this weasel just talking out of his ass?

But Warren said the program is another tool in his belt to help him do a good job as Cobb's sheriff. The program allows deputies to begin deportation proceedings against those here illegally who are arrested on other charges.

"I think the word is that, in Cobb County, Sheriff Warren has a tool he's using. I hope it stops people who don't have a Georgia driver's license or who can't operate a vehicle. It's taking someone off the street who can't drive," he said. "If you're here illegally, you don't want to do anything in Cobb County that will get you brought to the jail."