Sheriff suggests tweaking immigrant hold policy

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is suggesting the policy that forbids his office from informing federal officials when the county jail is about to release suspected illegal immigrants should be tweaked a bit.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Dart says people would feel more secure if his office was allowed to notify immigration officials when inmates charged with violent crimes are about to be released so the officials could detain them. Dart spoke at a Cook County Board meeting Thursday.

Since the board passed an ordinance nearly five months ago, 346 suspected illegal immigrants have been released, including one who was charged with aggravated battery of a police officer. Dart says 11 of those have been arrested again on charges such as drunken driving and drug possession.