Villa Park Backs Request for INS at Jail

The City Council has passed a resolution endorsing Anaheim’s effort to have a federal agent stationed at the city jail to identify and help deport illegal immigrants who are arrested.

Anaheim last October asked the federal government to assign an Immigration and Naturalization Service officer at the jail to hold down the number of undocumented immigrants the Police Department processes. The city says it spends $1 million annually to arrest and jail suspected illegal immigrants.

The INS stations officers at the county jail in Los Angeles, but none in Orange County. The INS is reviewing Anaheim’s request.

In a letter to Villa Park City Council members, Anaheim Councilman Bob Zemel urged their support.

“The program was proposed as a result of a recent shooting of one of our police officers by a twice-deported felon,” Zemel said. “If this pilot project is successful--and we suspect it will be--the program results will provide an important ‘blueprint’ for other cities which would like to implement the same program.”