Deputies complete immigration training

Three deputies in the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Gang Intelligence Unit have completed training to allow them to start checking the immigration status of individuals detained for felonies, the Sheriff's Office announced July 18.

The training, which wrapped up July 11 and was conduced by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, provided the deputies information on immigration and constitutional law, ethics and racial profiling issues, the Sheriff's Office said.

The deputies will be able to start the deportation process if an illegal immigrant is arrested in Loudoun.

Sheriff Steve Simpson said his department will only screen the citizenship status of individuals suspected of committing a serious crime.

The agreement clearly states that our intent is to target those involved in gang or other serious criminal activity, Simpson said in a statement. This program cannot and will not be used for random checks or unsolicited searches."

So far in 2008, the Sheriff's Office has turned over 71 illegal immigrants suspected of committing a crime to federal authorities, compared to 107 all of last year.

In June, Simpson announced that his department had entered in an agreement with ICE allowing his deputies to enforce federal immigration laws.

ICE has similar agreements with about 60 jurisdictions across the country.

To view the Loudoun Sheriff's Office agreement with ICE, see www.loudoun.gov/sheriff.