Should King County Jail Loosen Its Immigration Hold Policy?

King County may soon become the first county in Washington state to defy federal guidelines by refusing to hold undocumented immigrants accused of committing non-violent crimes.

As KUOW reports, the jail currently follows federal guidelines that stipulate it place holds, which typically lead to deportation, on inmates who are in this country illegally. Earlier this year, a study from the University of Washington found that two-thirds of the inmates held in 2011 were not facing felony charges and that one in eight were never charged with a crime.

The UW study also found those who were held spent an additional month in jail, on average.

A new ordinance would task the jail with referring only those inmates who are charged with violent crimes. But KING 5 reports some officials are concerned people suspected of crimes like burglary, assault and arson would not be detained.

“When you come into the United States and you are doing it unlawfully and you are also committing crimes like drive-by shooting or residential burglary or threatening to bomb a building, you’ve worn out your welcome,” King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn told KING 5.

The county council held its first public meeting on the matter this Tuesday. If passed, the ordinance would be the first of its kind in Washington, although counties in other states have adopted similar measures, according to KUOW.

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Do you think King County inmates should automatically be detained if they are suspected of being in the country illegally? Why or why not? Tell us in the comments section.