Authority Of State And Local Police To Enforce Federal Immigration Law

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. The power to prescribe rules as to which aliens may enter the U.S. and which aliens may be removed resides solely with the federal government, and in particular with Congress. Deportation and associated administrative processes related to the removal of aliens are civil in nature, while certain violations of federal immigration law, such as smuggling unauthorized aliens into the country, carry criminal penalties. The ability of state and local police to make arrests for federal immigration violations is a subject of legal debate and conflicting jurisprudence. This report discusses the authority of state and local law enforcement to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration law through the investigation and arrest of persons believed to have violated such laws. Illustrations.