Deputies Have New Tools To Enforce Immigration Laws

The Tulsa County Sheriff's office is getting deputies ready to more aggressively enforce immigration laws. Officers have been learning a new database that links up with the Department of Homeland

Tuesday, September 18th 2007, 3:48 pm

By: News On 6

The Tulsa County Sheriff's office is getting deputies ready to more aggressively enforce immigration laws. Officers have been learning a new database that links up with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The new system allows deputies and detention officers to almost instantly check immigration status.

It took five weeks of intense training on the system to get deputies ready, Tuesday was graduation day. Twenty-eight detention officers and deputies received diplomas and took their oaths to protect and serve.

Law enforcement leaders hope the new training puts an end to the catch and release approach to immigration law.

â€œAnytime that you have the ability to rid your country of somebody who's committing a crime that's a great thing,â€ said Undersheriff Brian Edwards. â€œThis has huge impacts for national security.â€

ICE has trained 489 officers nationwide under the new program.

Watch the video: Sheriff's Deputies, Employees Graduate From Immigration Training