Cantor Calls for Adoption of Criminal Alien Program in Monmouth County

-- Immigration Enforcement Program Focuses on Identifying Criminal illegal Aliens already Incarcerated --

Freehold, NJ, August 16, 2007 – The Monmouth County Republican Freeholder candidate Jeff Cantor issued the following statement today.

“As I visit voters across Monmouth County, walking door-to-door with my running mate Sheriff candidate Kim Guadagno, we are hearing the citizens of our county speak out about their outrage that criminal illegal aliens are being released from jail onto our streets. The execution-style murders of the three promising young college students from Newark serves as a painful reminder that alleged murderer Jose Carranza did not have to be released from jail without checking his immigration status. This is a travesty of justice,” said Freeholder Candidate Jeff Cantor.

It has been reported that Carranza had been indicted by Essex County grand juries twice this year: once in April on aggravated assault and weapons charges; and once in July on 31 counts, including aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13 years old and endangering the welfare of a child he had a duty to supervise.”

“How does an animal like this get released back onto our streets? With lack of federal action, local governments need to act to ensure illegal aliens with criminal records are never sent back onto our streets before facing an immigration judge. Today I am asking Sheriff Joseph Oxley to adopt a federal program known as The Criminal Alien Program (or CAP),” said Freeholder Candidate Jeff Cantor.

The Criminal Alien Program (CAP) focuses on identifying criminal aliens who are incarcerated within federal, state and local facilities, thereby ensuring that they are not released into the community by securing a final order of removal prior to the termination of their sentence. In June 2006, ICE launched a central interview and processing site for criminal aliens within the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) called the Detention Enforcement and Processing Offenders by Remote Technology (DEPORT). Since June, DEPORT has processed more than 4,337 inmates in federal prisons eligible for removal and who previously may have slipped through the immigration process. Through DEPORT, ICE ensures that all criminal aliens in federal prison custody are processed for removal. Currently ICE has increased the presence of the CAP program from 30 to 119 federal prisons.

“This program should be adopted at the county jail to further protect the citizens of Monmouth County until Kim Guadagno is elected sheriff and can implement 287g and programs like it in the Monmouth County jail,” said Cantor.

Under the “Immigration Reform Act of 1996” and provisions of the federal program known as 287(g) law enforcement officers working with federal authorities gain necessary resources and authority to immediately determine the immigration status of an individual.

He continued, “The adoption of CAP combined with the certification of Monmouth County correctional officers under 287g will protect the citizens of our county from criminal illegal aliens who should fully serve their criminal sentences and be deported.”

“There is no debate that criminal aliens that are present in the United States do not deserve the chance to flaunt our laws and remain here in the United States,” concluded Freeholder Candidate Jeff Cantor.

For more information on The Criminal Alien Program (CAP) and 287(g) visit www.ice.gov.