Few local agencies partnering with ICE

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Many local jurisdictions in the United States have been reluctant to help federal authorities crack down on illegal immigration, officials say.

The Washington Post reported Saturday that just 55 of more than 18,000 local police and law enforcement agencies have signed agreements to coordinate enforcement efforts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In some communities, officials say there is a risk to partnering with immigration authorities. They say they don't want to be accused of racial profiling or make illegal immigrants fearful of reporting crimes, the newspaper reported.

"There is a danger," said El Paso (Texas) Mayor John Cook. "If people feel they are under threat of being deported, they become silent. There has to be a delicate balance."

The Post reported that most of the local and state agencies that have signed on with ICE are in the Southeast.

James Pendergraph, director of the office of state and local coordination for ICE, said his agency does not seek to intimidate immigrants.

"The media make it seem like if you are out mowing your grass, we'll snatch you from your yard and arrest and deport you. That is just not the case," he said.