It has been eight months since the Burmese have come to Moore County. Swift and Company has been attracting a lot of immigrant workers since the raid in April of 2007.
Moore County is working on ways to help educate these new residents on American law and culture. Sheriff Bo DeArmond says the biggest problem is the language translation.
His deputies have seen a rise in alcohol and assault incidences in the past months. County, city and the school district are working together to help get an open dialog and help figure how life can work for all cultures. Meetings are scheduled so officials can work on ways to help.
Showing posts with label Moore Co.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moore Co.. Show all posts
September 9, 2008
July 25, 2008
Moore to help workers adapt
Friday, July 25, 2008
Moore to help workers adapt
Immigrant orientation set
By Janelle Stecklein
janelle.stecklein@amarillo.com
Post a comment here
SHARE THIS STORY: In many cases, county leaders may not take note of a minor car accident. But a recent accident in Moore County garnered the attention of leaders because it involved several refugees without identification.
"None of them had any IDs and it was just a real chaotic situation," said Tommy Brooks, the county's emergency management coordinator. "They don't like to carry their government papers with them because of the fear of losing them."
Officials quickly realized there was a need to help the immigrants adapt to their new country and community.
"It's totally another world for refugees when they come over here," said Moore County Judge Rowdy Rhoades.
So many Moore County organizations including the hospital district, the county's emergency management office, the Cactus Police Department, a pregnancy crisis center, JBS Swift & Co. and the Texas Department of Public Safety have planned a life skills fair Sunday that will cater to about 450 Burmese residents, Rhoades said.
Volunteers will try to issue every immigrant an identification card, which will help law enforcement and medical workers. Once those cards - which will not be official government IDs - are made, they will provide emergency contacts and which language the refugee speaks so that officials can find the correct translator, Brooks said.
Officials with the Moore County Hospital District will also distribute "File of Life" pouches, said Gayle Stowers, the hospital's marketing and community relations director. The packets help new residents gather information they might need when they go to the hospital or doctor, including pre-existing conditions, insurance, current medications and allergies.
"It will just make the whole process so much easier," Stowers said. "It's a starting point for us. And it's a great tool. I think everyone should have that information available."
Moore to help workers adapt
Immigrant orientation set
By Janelle Stecklein
janelle.stecklein@amarillo.com
Post a comment here
SHARE THIS STORY: In many cases, county leaders may not take note of a minor car accident. But a recent accident in Moore County garnered the attention of leaders because it involved several refugees without identification.
"None of them had any IDs and it was just a real chaotic situation," said Tommy Brooks, the county's emergency management coordinator. "They don't like to carry their government papers with them because of the fear of losing them."
Officials quickly realized there was a need to help the immigrants adapt to their new country and community.
"It's totally another world for refugees when they come over here," said Moore County Judge Rowdy Rhoades.
So many Moore County organizations including the hospital district, the county's emergency management office, the Cactus Police Department, a pregnancy crisis center, JBS Swift & Co. and the Texas Department of Public Safety have planned a life skills fair Sunday that will cater to about 450 Burmese residents, Rhoades said.
Volunteers will try to issue every immigrant an identification card, which will help law enforcement and medical workers. Once those cards - which will not be official government IDs - are made, they will provide emergency contacts and which language the refugee speaks so that officials can find the correct translator, Brooks said.
Officials with the Moore County Hospital District will also distribute "File of Life" pouches, said Gayle Stowers, the hospital's marketing and community relations director. The packets help new residents gather information they might need when they go to the hospital or doctor, including pre-existing conditions, insurance, current medications and allergies.
"It will just make the whole process so much easier," Stowers said. "It's a starting point for us. And it's a great tool. I think everyone should have that information available."
June 15, 2008
Burmese refugees fill meatpacking jobs
June 14, 2008, 12:01AM
Burmese refugees fill meatpacking jobs
By BETSY BLANEY Associated Press Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press
CACTUS, Texas — Foreign-born workers have been the mainstay at a meatpacking plant in this small Panhandle town for decades.
When the plant opened in 1974, Vietnamese and Laotians filled many of the jobs. Then came workers from Mexico and Guatemala, many of them in the U.S. illegally.
Most left or were arrested after a 2006 immigration raid that took nearly 300 workers from the Swift & Co. plant.
Now a new group of foreign-born workers are employed at the plant, where starting pay begins at $12 an hour.
Since January about 450 Burmese refugees have arrived from places like Houston, Florida, New York and Indianapolis, lured by lower living costs, safe neighborhoods and jobs. More are on the way.
"They found a legal way to get a low-end work force," Moore County Judge Rowdy Rhoades said of the plant, which employs about 3000 workers and now operates as JBS Swift & Co. "These people take pride in their jobs."
A similar-sized group of Somalis answered Swift's ads last year.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids targeted six Swift plants across the U.S. in December 2006 hit Cactus' economy hard. Just a few months later a tornado leveled about half of the town's homes.
Officials at Greeley, Colo.-based JBS Swift said the company feels fortunate to provide the refugees good jobs.
"Our refugee employees are a vital part of our work force, helping us recover from the ICE raids when we were struggling to keep operations running," Jack Shandley, a company spokesman said in an e-mail. "The refugees are legally living and working in the United States."
The adjustment hasn't been easy, for either Moore County residents or the Burmese, whose war-torn Myanmar homeland was hit by a catastrophic cyclone killing thousands in May.
Many who fled settled near the Thai border before gaining refugee status, said Lori Bigham, a supervisor at Catholic Family Service in Amarillo, about 60 miles from Cactus and already home to a Burmese population.
The newest Burmese immigrants live in Cactus and Dumas, about 15 miles south of the plant.
Only a few speak English, and the language barrier has resulted in some confusion over how to obtain driver licenses or otherwise ease into their new lives.
At Moore County Hospital, translators provided by Bigham's agency have helped, as has a telephonic interpreter service, said chief executive officer Jeff Turner.
The staff also has received training in cultural issues; some of the Burmese are Muslim.
"We have found that those issues have not prevented us from giving care," he said.
The Dumas school district hired two Burmese who speak English to help the 107 Burmese students — one of them a 20-year-old woman — who have enrolled in local schools. Swift officials have told the district that more will enroll in the fall, district superintendent Larry Appel said.
The district also purchased software and will conduct an intensive summer program to help students learn English. Appel said many Burmese are learning Spanish as well.
"It's a great tribute to their desire to learn," he said. "They've not been a problem to us. A challenge, yes. A problem no."
There have been differences, though.
"For the most part they've not been accustomed to attending school for a full school day," he said. "It's more an adjustment. It's certainly not a behavioral issue."
There has been both joy and heartache since the Burmese arrived. In mid-May, a man, 41, and a woman, 23, were killed when the van in which they were riding with eight other Burmese rolled several times on U.S. 87 just south of Dumas.
Most were ejected and the language barrier impeded rescue efforts, Moore County Attorney Scott Higginbotham said.
"We can't get past, 'who are you and are you hurt,'" he said. "I'm grateful they're here because we're a nation of immigrants. The problem I have ... is we are ill-equipped to take care of these people."
The two communities are coming together to help. Elected officials from Dumas, Cactus and Moore County, and others from churches and social services agencies meet regularly.
Stan Corbin, international mission pastor at First Baptist Church in Dumas, said he's proud of his town and his county for stepping up to help the group.
"They're anxious to be independent but they're not there yet," he said. "Right now they're dependent on citizens to help them."
Bigham, the Catholic Family Service supervisor, said the number of Burmese moving here from other U.S. cities is greater than many expected.
"It usually doesn't happen with such large number in a short amount of time," she said.
But complaints are few in Cactus. The Burmese walk many places and because men wear dress-like garb, heads turn, Cactus City Manager Steve Schmidt-Witcher said.
"It's rather unusual to see a man walking with a skirt," he said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/5837392.html
Burmese refugees fill meatpacking jobs
By BETSY BLANEY Associated Press Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press
CACTUS, Texas — Foreign-born workers have been the mainstay at a meatpacking plant in this small Panhandle town for decades.
When the plant opened in 1974, Vietnamese and Laotians filled many of the jobs. Then came workers from Mexico and Guatemala, many of them in the U.S. illegally.
Most left or were arrested after a 2006 immigration raid that took nearly 300 workers from the Swift & Co. plant.
Now a new group of foreign-born workers are employed at the plant, where starting pay begins at $12 an hour.
Since January about 450 Burmese refugees have arrived from places like Houston, Florida, New York and Indianapolis, lured by lower living costs, safe neighborhoods and jobs. More are on the way.
"They found a legal way to get a low-end work force," Moore County Judge Rowdy Rhoades said of the plant, which employs about 3000 workers and now operates as JBS Swift & Co. "These people take pride in their jobs."
A similar-sized group of Somalis answered Swift's ads last year.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids targeted six Swift plants across the U.S. in December 2006 hit Cactus' economy hard. Just a few months later a tornado leveled about half of the town's homes.
Officials at Greeley, Colo.-based JBS Swift said the company feels fortunate to provide the refugees good jobs.
"Our refugee employees are a vital part of our work force, helping us recover from the ICE raids when we were struggling to keep operations running," Jack Shandley, a company spokesman said in an e-mail. "The refugees are legally living and working in the United States."
The adjustment hasn't been easy, for either Moore County residents or the Burmese, whose war-torn Myanmar homeland was hit by a catastrophic cyclone killing thousands in May.
Many who fled settled near the Thai border before gaining refugee status, said Lori Bigham, a supervisor at Catholic Family Service in Amarillo, about 60 miles from Cactus and already home to a Burmese population.
The newest Burmese immigrants live in Cactus and Dumas, about 15 miles south of the plant.
Only a few speak English, and the language barrier has resulted in some confusion over how to obtain driver licenses or otherwise ease into their new lives.
At Moore County Hospital, translators provided by Bigham's agency have helped, as has a telephonic interpreter service, said chief executive officer Jeff Turner.
The staff also has received training in cultural issues; some of the Burmese are Muslim.
"We have found that those issues have not prevented us from giving care," he said.
The Dumas school district hired two Burmese who speak English to help the 107 Burmese students — one of them a 20-year-old woman — who have enrolled in local schools. Swift officials have told the district that more will enroll in the fall, district superintendent Larry Appel said.
The district also purchased software and will conduct an intensive summer program to help students learn English. Appel said many Burmese are learning Spanish as well.
"It's a great tribute to their desire to learn," he said. "They've not been a problem to us. A challenge, yes. A problem no."
There have been differences, though.
"For the most part they've not been accustomed to attending school for a full school day," he said. "It's more an adjustment. It's certainly not a behavioral issue."
There has been both joy and heartache since the Burmese arrived. In mid-May, a man, 41, and a woman, 23, were killed when the van in which they were riding with eight other Burmese rolled several times on U.S. 87 just south of Dumas.
Most were ejected and the language barrier impeded rescue efforts, Moore County Attorney Scott Higginbotham said.
"We can't get past, 'who are you and are you hurt,'" he said. "I'm grateful they're here because we're a nation of immigrants. The problem I have ... is we are ill-equipped to take care of these people."
The two communities are coming together to help. Elected officials from Dumas, Cactus and Moore County, and others from churches and social services agencies meet regularly.
Stan Corbin, international mission pastor at First Baptist Church in Dumas, said he's proud of his town and his county for stepping up to help the group.
"They're anxious to be independent but they're not there yet," he said. "Right now they're dependent on citizens to help them."
Bigham, the Catholic Family Service supervisor, said the number of Burmese moving here from other U.S. cities is greater than many expected.
"It usually doesn't happen with such large number in a short amount of time," she said.
But complaints are few in Cactus. The Burmese walk many places and because men wear dress-like garb, heads turn, Cactus City Manager Steve Schmidt-Witcher said.
"It's rather unusual to see a man walking with a skirt," he said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/5837392.html
May 12, 2008
More areas see Hispanic majorities
May 12, 2008
More areas see Hispanic majorities
By Enrique Rangel
Globe-News Austin Bureau
Teresa Jasso's family came to Crosbyton decades ago.
Changing Demographics
In 11 rural West Texas counties, Hispanics now make up the majority. As the U.S. Census Bureau reported last year, that number is expected to get even larger because Texas leads the nation in population growth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
County Hispanic population Anglo population
Bailey 3,387 2,970
Castro 3,886 3,170
Cochran 1,576 1,406
Crosby 3,175 2,946
Dawson 7,029 5,641
Deaf Smith 11,599 6,660
Floyd 3,347 3,257
Hale 17,532 16,526
Moore 10,638 9,320
Parmer 5,383 3,947
Yoakum 3,750 3,447
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When she was a little girl her father, a migrant worker, would often take the family out of the area to work on the fields. Jasso married in the early 1970's, and she and her husband, Gilbert, from nearby Ralls, settled in Crosbyton.
Now, the couple's four children are grown.
For the past five years, the family has owned and operated Teresa's Cocina, a popular Mexican restaurant on Main Street. Almost daily local farmers and elected officials meet there for an early breakfast.
Among them are Rep. Joe Heflin, D-Crosbyton, who enjoys a meal and talks about just about everything, mainly farming issues and politics.
"We decided to stay and so did our children," Jasso said. "Only one lives in Lubbock."
For the average West Texan, the Jasso family's story might be uneventful. But for demographers it is a unique case study.
The Jassos exemplify the rapidly changing demographics in rural West Texas. While 33 rural counties in the Panhandle/South Plains region lost population during the first six years of this decade, in places like Crosby County, the Hispanic population is growing.
It's now the majority group.
Crosby County lost 7.4 percent of its population during the same period, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Yet, Hispanics became the largest ethnic group in the county. They now narrowly outnumber Anglos, 3,175 to 2,946.
"This region is changing before our eyes," said Heflin, whose House District 85 includes the largest percentage of Spanish-surnamed residents.
"Many people have left ... so if it wasn't for Hispanics, many more West Texas communities would be like ghost towns."
It is the same story in Castro County.
From 2000 to 2006, the county lost 10.1 percent of its population. And though Hispanics slightly outnumbered Anglos in 2000, now they are the dominant group.
There were 3,886 Hispanics in the county, compared with 3,170 Anglos according to the 2006 Census estimate.
"When I moved here 30 years ago, we represented about 30 or no more than 35 percent of the population," said Castro County Commissioner Larry Gonzales. "But in 25 years or less we became the majority."
Like Jasso in Crosby County, Gonzales decided to settle down in Castro County to raise his family.
Gonzales attributes the Hispanic population growth in other counties to the fact that entire families have stayed while young Anglos have left for greener pastures.
Equally important, the dairy industry has fueled the growth of the Hispanic population in Castro and neighboring counties for the last 10 years, Gonzales noted.
"The dairies are attracting a lot of 'Mexicanos,' " Gonzales said. "And though a lot of them are legal immigrants, there are also some who are here illegally."
Some unhappy
However, Gonzales and other officials wish the dairy industry would pay higher wages.
Various county offices and other business groups wooing the industry to the Panhandle and the South Plains say that on average dairy worker earns about $12 an hour.
Most workers are expected to work overtime because the cows need constant attention.
Still, even working extra hours, the most an average dairy worker can make is $30,000 a year. That's not enough to support a family of four in the Panhandle, according to a recent study by the Austin-based think-tank Center for Public Policy Priorities.
The study concluded that a family of four needs to have an income of at least $33,757 to make it in the Amarillo Metropolitan Area. That means the spouse of a dairy worker also has to work, even part-time, to make ends meet.
Lubbock County Commissioner Ysidro Gutierrez said that although he was born and has lived in Lubbock all of his life, he knows rural West Texas rather well. For that reason, he recommends young Hispanics in small towns and ranches to leave.
"I don't see a lot of change, at least for the next five years," Gutierrez said. "I hope that young Hispanics move out of the rural areas. They have more chances of getting a better paying job in urban areas."
Others like Jesse Romero, who lobbies the Texas Legislature for bilingual education funding, said funding for such programs has remained stagnant for more than two decades, while the number of Hispanic immigrant children in West Texas grows at a faster pace than the general student population.
"Historically, bilingual education was just a South Texas issue, from San Antonio down," Romero said. "But not anymore. There is a great need for bilingual ed in the Panhandle and in the Lubbock area, and it's more acute in rural areas because they just don't have the resources."
School districts, such as those in Bovina and Dumas, have long struggled to hire bilingual teachers. Their efforts often are unsuccessful because few college graduates are interested in working in rural areas, school superintendents say.
Bailey County Commissioner Juan Chavez hopes Hispanics' transition from minority to majority group is tension-free, particularly when trying to get political representation.
"I still remember the 1960s and '70s and even the '80s when there was too much resistance from the Anglos," Chavez said. "It was a major struggle."
But some like Heflin said they hope those days are long over.
In Crosbyton, for example, this year's man and woman of the year were Hispanic, he said.
"Let's face it, the face of Texas of all Texas is changing and evolving and that is true, too, in rural West Texas," Heflin added. "And I hope we made some progress during the past 30 or 35 years and move forward."
http://www.amarillo.com/stories/051208/new_10309584.shtml
More areas see Hispanic majorities
By Enrique Rangel
Globe-News Austin Bureau
Teresa Jasso's family came to Crosbyton decades ago.
Changing Demographics
In 11 rural West Texas counties, Hispanics now make up the majority. As the U.S. Census Bureau reported last year, that number is expected to get even larger because Texas leads the nation in population growth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
County Hispanic population Anglo population
Bailey 3,387 2,970
Castro 3,886 3,170
Cochran 1,576 1,406
Crosby 3,175 2,946
Dawson 7,029 5,641
Deaf Smith 11,599 6,660
Floyd 3,347 3,257
Hale 17,532 16,526
Moore 10,638 9,320
Parmer 5,383 3,947
Yoakum 3,750 3,447
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When she was a little girl her father, a migrant worker, would often take the family out of the area to work on the fields. Jasso married in the early 1970's, and she and her husband, Gilbert, from nearby Ralls, settled in Crosbyton.
Now, the couple's four children are grown.
For the past five years, the family has owned and operated Teresa's Cocina, a popular Mexican restaurant on Main Street. Almost daily local farmers and elected officials meet there for an early breakfast.
Among them are Rep. Joe Heflin, D-Crosbyton, who enjoys a meal and talks about just about everything, mainly farming issues and politics.
"We decided to stay and so did our children," Jasso said. "Only one lives in Lubbock."
For the average West Texan, the Jasso family's story might be uneventful. But for demographers it is a unique case study.
The Jassos exemplify the rapidly changing demographics in rural West Texas. While 33 rural counties in the Panhandle/South Plains region lost population during the first six years of this decade, in places like Crosby County, the Hispanic population is growing.
It's now the majority group.
Crosby County lost 7.4 percent of its population during the same period, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Yet, Hispanics became the largest ethnic group in the county. They now narrowly outnumber Anglos, 3,175 to 2,946.
"This region is changing before our eyes," said Heflin, whose House District 85 includes the largest percentage of Spanish-surnamed residents.
"Many people have left ... so if it wasn't for Hispanics, many more West Texas communities would be like ghost towns."
It is the same story in Castro County.
From 2000 to 2006, the county lost 10.1 percent of its population. And though Hispanics slightly outnumbered Anglos in 2000, now they are the dominant group.
There were 3,886 Hispanics in the county, compared with 3,170 Anglos according to the 2006 Census estimate.
"When I moved here 30 years ago, we represented about 30 or no more than 35 percent of the population," said Castro County Commissioner Larry Gonzales. "But in 25 years or less we became the majority."
Like Jasso in Crosby County, Gonzales decided to settle down in Castro County to raise his family.
Gonzales attributes the Hispanic population growth in other counties to the fact that entire families have stayed while young Anglos have left for greener pastures.
Equally important, the dairy industry has fueled the growth of the Hispanic population in Castro and neighboring counties for the last 10 years, Gonzales noted.
"The dairies are attracting a lot of 'Mexicanos,' " Gonzales said. "And though a lot of them are legal immigrants, there are also some who are here illegally."
Some unhappy
However, Gonzales and other officials wish the dairy industry would pay higher wages.
Various county offices and other business groups wooing the industry to the Panhandle and the South Plains say that on average dairy worker earns about $12 an hour.
Most workers are expected to work overtime because the cows need constant attention.
Still, even working extra hours, the most an average dairy worker can make is $30,000 a year. That's not enough to support a family of four in the Panhandle, according to a recent study by the Austin-based think-tank Center for Public Policy Priorities.
The study concluded that a family of four needs to have an income of at least $33,757 to make it in the Amarillo Metropolitan Area. That means the spouse of a dairy worker also has to work, even part-time, to make ends meet.
Lubbock County Commissioner Ysidro Gutierrez said that although he was born and has lived in Lubbock all of his life, he knows rural West Texas rather well. For that reason, he recommends young Hispanics in small towns and ranches to leave.
"I don't see a lot of change, at least for the next five years," Gutierrez said. "I hope that young Hispanics move out of the rural areas. They have more chances of getting a better paying job in urban areas."
Others like Jesse Romero, who lobbies the Texas Legislature for bilingual education funding, said funding for such programs has remained stagnant for more than two decades, while the number of Hispanic immigrant children in West Texas grows at a faster pace than the general student population.
"Historically, bilingual education was just a South Texas issue, from San Antonio down," Romero said. "But not anymore. There is a great need for bilingual ed in the Panhandle and in the Lubbock area, and it's more acute in rural areas because they just don't have the resources."
School districts, such as those in Bovina and Dumas, have long struggled to hire bilingual teachers. Their efforts often are unsuccessful because few college graduates are interested in working in rural areas, school superintendents say.
Bailey County Commissioner Juan Chavez hopes Hispanics' transition from minority to majority group is tension-free, particularly when trying to get political representation.
"I still remember the 1960s and '70s and even the '80s when there was too much resistance from the Anglos," Chavez said. "It was a major struggle."
But some like Heflin said they hope those days are long over.
In Crosbyton, for example, this year's man and woman of the year were Hispanic, he said.
"Let's face it, the face of Texas of all Texas is changing and evolving and that is true, too, in rural West Texas," Heflin added. "And I hope we made some progress during the past 30 or 35 years and move forward."
http://www.amarillo.com/stories/051208/new_10309584.shtml
November 2, 2007
Illegal immigrants filling county jails
Illegal immigrants filling county jails
By Sean Thomas
sean.thomas@amarillo.com
Illegal immigrants are taking roost in three Panhandle jails and causing crowding issues.
Ochiltree County is making plans to deal with extra inmates in part because of illegal immigrants who have committed state crimes. Immigration and Custom Enforcement place holds on illegal immigrants, making it difficult for them to bond out of jail.
Ochiltree Sheriff Terry Bouchard said a proposed agreement between Ochiltree County Jail and the Dallam-Hartley County Jail will allow the county to ship inmates to the bi-county jail at $40 per day per inmate.
Moore and Carson County both ship inmates to other jails but would have their crowding issues relieved if illegal immigrants could bond out.
"We've managed to stay under (capacity) so far, but we want some kind of safety mechanism in case we run over," Bouchard said.
Ochiltree' 32-bed facility is 51 years old and typically runs an average of 26 inmates.
This week the county had nine inmates with ICE holds placed on them.
"When immigration places a hold on that person, the bondsmen don't want to bond them," Bouchard said. "If they do bond out, ICE will pick them up."
Ken Knowles, owner of Central Bail Bonds, which covers about 90 counties, said it ultimately depends on whether local jails will work with the bonding companies and the credibility of the inmate.
"I know some of these smaller jails due to the overcrowding and the overpopulation of immigrants, if these people have jobs and are somewhat stable, they will cut them loose on our bond," Knowles said. "We do post bonds on them if the credibility is there."
Ochiltree won't be stuck with illegal immigrants for inmates indefinitely. After they serve for the state crime, Bouchard said they are picked up by ICE.
Moore County Jail has six inmates at the Dallam-Hartley County Jail and still has 58 inmates in its 62-bed facility.
Corrections Officer Christie Rex said most of the 11 inmates with ICE holds have misdemeanor charges against them.
"If they were able to bond on those charges, my jail wouldn't nearly be as full. That would help us," Rex said.
Most of the jail officials did agree that ICE was punctual about picking up inmates once they had resolved their state issues.
Carson County Sheriff Tam Terry has two inmates staying with Armstrong County to help ease crowding at his 24-bed facility. Terry's nine inmates with ICE holds all face first-degree felonies.
"They are here and I can't get rid of them," Terry said. "If five of them were able to make a bond, that would help us out."
http://www.amarillo.com/stories/110207/new_8803901.shtml
By Sean Thomas
sean.thomas@amarillo.com
Illegal immigrants are taking roost in three Panhandle jails and causing crowding issues.
Ochiltree County is making plans to deal with extra inmates in part because of illegal immigrants who have committed state crimes. Immigration and Custom Enforcement place holds on illegal immigrants, making it difficult for them to bond out of jail.
Ochiltree Sheriff Terry Bouchard said a proposed agreement between Ochiltree County Jail and the Dallam-Hartley County Jail will allow the county to ship inmates to the bi-county jail at $40 per day per inmate.
Moore and Carson County both ship inmates to other jails but would have their crowding issues relieved if illegal immigrants could bond out.
"We've managed to stay under (capacity) so far, but we want some kind of safety mechanism in case we run over," Bouchard said.
Ochiltree' 32-bed facility is 51 years old and typically runs an average of 26 inmates.
This week the county had nine inmates with ICE holds placed on them.
"When immigration places a hold on that person, the bondsmen don't want to bond them," Bouchard said. "If they do bond out, ICE will pick them up."
Ken Knowles, owner of Central Bail Bonds, which covers about 90 counties, said it ultimately depends on whether local jails will work with the bonding companies and the credibility of the inmate.
"I know some of these smaller jails due to the overcrowding and the overpopulation of immigrants, if these people have jobs and are somewhat stable, they will cut them loose on our bond," Knowles said. "We do post bonds on them if the credibility is there."
Ochiltree won't be stuck with illegal immigrants for inmates indefinitely. After they serve for the state crime, Bouchard said they are picked up by ICE.
Moore County Jail has six inmates at the Dallam-Hartley County Jail and still has 58 inmates in its 62-bed facility.
Corrections Officer Christie Rex said most of the 11 inmates with ICE holds have misdemeanor charges against them.
"If they were able to bond on those charges, my jail wouldn't nearly be as full. That would help us," Rex said.
Most of the jail officials did agree that ICE was punctual about picking up inmates once they had resolved their state issues.
Carson County Sheriff Tam Terry has two inmates staying with Armstrong County to help ease crowding at his 24-bed facility. Terry's nine inmates with ICE holds all face first-degree felonies.
"They are here and I can't get rid of them," Terry said. "If five of them were able to make a bond, that would help us out."
http://www.amarillo.com/stories/110207/new_8803901.shtml
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