Federal immigration officials took 22 inmates this morning from a state prison and are preparing to deport them.
A new state law that took effect on July 1 allows inmates who are in the country illegally to be deported if they have not been convicted of a violent crime and have served 1/3 of their prison sentence.
group of men from the John Lilley Correctional Center in Boley were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents early this morning. Twenty of the men are from Mexico. One is from El Salvador and another is from Guatemala, according to records from the Department of Corrections.
This is the first large group of inmates to be turned over to federal immigration officials under a new state law that took effect July 1, said Jerry Massie, Department of Corrections spokesman.
Since the law took effect, 54 inmates have been transferred to federal authorities for deportation. Earlier this month, 32 inmates in the country illegally were turned over to federal custody, Massie said.
Oklahoma is one of a handful of states that allows state inmates who are in the country illegally to be turned over to federal custody for deportation. Supporters of the move say it could save the state up to $4 million in the first year, as well as free up prison beds.
Prison officials report that 346 of the 541 illegal aliens currently in state prison will ultimately be eligible for deportation under the program, with 181 immediately eligible for deportation.
Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, wrote the bill that was signed into law by Gov. Brad Henry in June.
http://www.newsok.com/illegal-alien-inmates-transferred-to-feds-for-deportation-from-oklahoma-prison/article/3387413
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