Apr. 15, 2011, Zanesville Times Recorder
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
State Sen. Jimmy Stewart wants to give local police more authority to enforce federal immigration laws.
Under Ohio law, if police find an illegal immigrant through a routine traffic stop or other investigation, officers can detain the person if another criminal charge is applied. If not, the police department must contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
If immigration officials don’t take custody of the individual within two days of his or her scheduled release, which Stewart said is common, the suspect is freed.
Local officers can get the authority to press criminal charges for illegal immigration if they first get a memorandum from the federal government, then go through training.
Stewart’s bill would allow Attorney General Mike DeWine to pursue the memorandum on behalf of all of Ohio’s local police departments. Then interested officers or departments would just need to go through the training.
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