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New program meant to help keep track of illegal immigrants in jail

By Ray Gomez

Story Created: Jun 16, 2009

Story Updated: Jun 18, 2009

The Webb County Sheriff's Department is now part of a new program to enhance identification and removal of criminal aliens.

Five South Texas Sheriff's offices have been added to a list of law enforcement agencies to receive a biometrics-based immigration history on inmates.

The Secure Communities Program streamlines the process for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to determine if an arrested individual is an illegal immigrant.

Under the program anybody booked into county jails has their fingerprints screened using the Homeland Security Immigration Database.

According to the Webb County Sheriff's Department it costs $42 per day to keep an inmate in the county jail.

Sheriff Martin Cuellar says if the inmate is an illegal immigrant then ICE agents will have to pick him up within 24 hours.

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