Tired of waiting

Gov. Bob McDonnell has demanded approval of state immigration enforcement from Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. In a letter written on May 12, 2011, McDonnell asked for Virginia to be granted immediate immigration enforcement authority under the 287 (g) program, which would allow state police to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with the removal of criminal illegal aliens.

"As Virginia's Governor, I cannot stand idly by as the Department of Homeland Security continually ignores my request," said McDonnell in a Friday press release.

In August 2010, the Virginia governor made his first formal request to Napolitano asking for approval of an agreement which would allow Virginia troopers to perform certain tasks conducted by federal immigration officers.

"Ten months is an unacceptable time to wait for a simple answer from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security," said McDonnell. "The time has come for an answer and immediate approval of our request."

The governor's office stated that ICE is underfunded and understaffed and must partner with state police to crack down on Virginia's criminal illegal aliens.

"Welcoming lawful immigrants is a hallmark of our nation's history, and should continue to be so in the future," said McDonnell. "However, we must retain the right to remove the most dangerous illegal aliens from our borders, and 287(g) agreements have been approved across the country for that purpose. Virginia must have the ability to exercise this authority statewide."

Napolitano spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said the agency is reviewing Virginia's request, and that decisions are based on the law enforcement needs of a jurisdiction.

The Superintendent of the Virginia Department of State Police, the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, and the governor's Chief of Staff have all met with federal officers to discuss partnership efforts.

McDonnell talked to Napolitano on May 1, 2011 and sent a follow-up letter eleven days later. In his letter, McDonnell wrote that all application requirements had been met and that more than enough time had passed for a decision to be made.

If an agreement is made between ICE and the Virginia State Police, a certain number of designated state troopers would be allowed to assist in the removal of illegal aliens who have engaged in terrorism, drug offenses, gang activity, or severe violent crimes.

McDonnell made a push for such an agreement when he was attorney general of the Commonwealth, but then-Gov. Tim Kaine, refused to make the request. McDonnell said that ICE has been "anxious" to provide Virginia state police with limited immigration enforcement power.

A January 2011 report by the Migration Policy Institute stated that there are an estimated 25,500 illegal immigrants in Prince William County, 62,700 in Fairfax County, and 11,100 in Loudoun County.

According to a March 2010 report, ICE has 69 agreements through the 287(g) program in 24 states, and over 1,240 state officers have been trained and certified. In 2010, the 287 (g) program had a budget of $68 million for training and other costs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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