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County officials pressure Congress to reimburse Suffolk for incarcerating illegal aliens
"Last year Suffolk relied upon this program to the tune of $1.7 million and we need that funding restored," said D'Amaro. "Immigration policy rests primarily with the federal government and when that policy fails, the least the federal government can do while trying to work through the issues is to provide funding for localities who have to deal with those failed policies every day." Robert S. Cook, D'Amaro's Republican opponent in November said that while he applauds D'Amaro for his efforts to recoup $1.7 million in costs for illegal immigrants in Suffolk's jails, he is wondering why he hasn't worked to recoupe millions more for police, fire, health and educational services being provided to illegal aliens. "He's worried about a couple hundred illegal immigrants in our jails and what they are costing hard-working Suffolk residents; I'm concerned about the thousands who are depleting our resources and costing us millions," said Cook, a fire commissioner in Plainview and a real estate investor. "What has he done to address that?" The House Appropriations Committee has reauthorized the federal funding and the House is expected to pass the measure this week. The President has indicated he will approve the funding if it passes Congress. The housing of illegal immigrants in Suffolk's jails has an impact on every county taxpayer, pointed out DeMarco, who estimates that an average of 10 percent of those incarcerated are illegal immigrants. As of June 30 of this year that figure was at 177 inmates, costing taxpayers at least $200 a day. In some cases that cost is more as the county, short on jail space, has to send some of these inmates to out-of-county facilities in Albany or Rikers Island in Manhattan. It's that lack of jail space and overcrowding that has forced the county, under state mandate, to build and expand its jail facilities, saying that the relocation of inmates to other facilities is not an adequate means of handling the problem of lack of space. It is costing county taxpayers millions to build a new jail in Yaphank. DeMarco said that most of the inmates who are determined to be here illegally are turned over to immigration officials who have offices in the county jails as a result of a cooperative program fought for and implemented in Suffolk by DeMarco and S.C. Leg. Steve Levy.
"Once an inmate is flagged to be an illegal immigrant and they serve their sentences or post a bond they can be detained for an additional 48 hours to give ICE officials time to pick them up. Following that, they can opt for a deportation hearing which, said DeMarco could result in their immediate deportation or a sixmonth temporary status. "At the end of that time, they are supposed to go back to the court. Whether they do or not depends on the individual, but we have known instances in which the subjects are depoarted and then back in our jail a year later after having reenetered the country again illegally."
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