Homeland Security’s Immigration Control and Enforcement began a three day sting on Friday Jan 13th, 2007, arresting those with pending DUI charges and DUI convictions who are not citizens in an operation titled Safe Streets. Ordinarily illegal immigrants are only subject to deportation for serious felonies or offenses which include at least a 12 month jail sentence. Because probation sentences were being considered “jail sentences” lawyers were attempting to get around this by having clients plea to 11 month 29 day probation sentences. This seems to put that technique on ICE. A warning to all illegal immigrants who now must take their cases to a jury to hope to avoid deportation. It will be interesting to see if this operation spreads beyond North Carolina.

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