Local police agencies are mandated by Federal law to detain illegal aliens, and then turn them into ICE. The cops are doing their job, but the Feds refuse to pay for the incarceration. 
““In order to make better use of limited SCAAP funding and to ensure jurisdictions are reimbursed only for known undocumented criminal aliens, BJA will no longer provide reimbursement for inmates whose statuses are unknown. Accordingly, only detention costs of undocumented criminal aliens, whose statuses can be confirmed by DHS as such, will be counted towards the SCAAP awards in FY 2012.”
The Long Beach Post points out the lack of funds could be particularly difficult for LA County: “Given that an estimated 80% of “unknown” inmates in the state’s county jails are truly undocumented, according to the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), the blow could be devastating to L.A. County, costing millions more in addition to the fraction they receive in reimbursement.”
Actually this is not about the Feds saving money. Obama wants illegal aliens on the streets and taking jobs. This is a disincentive for law enforcement to enforce our immigration laws. Obama wants these criminals back on the streets. No money to local government and local government is forced to send the criminals back to victimize again.
Counties to be Burdened with Extra Costs after DOJ Announces Policy Change for Funding
California County News, 6/20/12
On top of the added burden created by realignment and overcrowding, now counties are set to lose funding from the U.S. Department of Justice thanks to federal cuts. A new policy change announced last month means that counties will no longer receive federal reimbursements for the cost of detaining jail inmates with unknown immigration status. The loss of State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) funds doesn’t come at an ideal time for counties, so local officials have expressed displeasure with the change. Counties are basically being put in a position in which they are bearing the financial burden, which critics say is unfair because the duty to secure the borders falls to the federal government and a deficit in that respect has left counties with the high cost of housing, food, and medical care for illegals in jails. Here is the language offered under the new policy by the Bureau of Justice:
“In order to make better use of limited SCAAP funding and to ensure jurisdictions are reimbursed only for known undocumented criminal aliens, BJA will no longer provide reimbursement for inmates whose statuses are unknown. Accordingly, only detention costs of undocumented criminal aliens, whose statuses can be confirmed by DHS as such, will be counted towards the SCAAP awards in FY 2012.”
The Long Beach Post points out the lack of funds could be particularly difficult for LA County: “Given that an estimated 80% of “unknown” inmates in the state’s county jails are truly undocumented, according to the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), the blow could be devastating to L.A. County, costing millions more in addition to the fraction they receive in reimbursement.”
Commenting on the change, Paul McIntosh, Executive Director of CSAC, stated the following: “As a result, a disproportionate share of the criminal justice-related costs associated with illegal immigration impacts county governments, and SCAAP related costs to local jurisdictions continue to rise. In past years, DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has provided reimbursement credit to states and localities that have incurred costs for detaining individuals whom they believe to be undocumented criminals; in doing so, the agency has acknowledged the fact that undocumented individuals constitute a high percentage of foreign-born inmates of unknown immigration status because these individuals-who have never before been apprehended and screened by federal immigration agents-will not be in any federal immigration database.”
It is estimated that estimated that San Bernardino County would have lost nearly $1 million and Los Angeles County would have lost $7.1 million in 2010 if the policy was adopted at that point in time.
