Freedom Folks: Another Spoonful Of "Uncounted Beans?"

Source: immigration watchdog

During one month, 10 percent of people sent to O.C. Jail were flagged as possible illegal immigrants.

SANTA ANA – Ten percent of people arrested and sent to the Orange County Jail from Jan. 19 to Feb. 25 were flagged for possible immigration violations, according to statistics the Orange County Sheriff’s Department released Wednesday.

Jail deputies booked a total of 6,160 people through the Intake Release Center during that time. Of those, deputies interviewed 956 foreign nationals and detained 639 of them for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Of those detained for ICE, 56 were held for aggravated felonies, 425 for felonies and 214 for misdemeanors.

The numbers are for the first month of a program that certified deputies to perform certain immigration functions such as checking the legal status of everyone that comes through their jails.

Deputies interviewed foreign nationals from various countries such as Canada, Argentina and Thailand.

Sheriff Mike Carona said the numbers weren’t a surprise. He had estimated 8 to 14 percent of the jail population was most likely here illegally.

“Nobody has done a definitive study like we’re doing right now,” Carona said.