Via the Bradenton Herald:

After four weeks of intensive training, corrections officers at the Manatee County jail are almost ready to dig deeper into inmates' immigration status.

 

Five corrections officers from the jail have returned from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement training program with a working knowledge of how to navigate the web of federal immigration databases.

 

In one more week, those officers are projected to have the software and computers necessary to access the databases, with ICE officials setting up a network at the jail, according to Manatee County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Chris Heier.

 

Once the program is up and running, all inmates booked into the jail who are not U.S. citizens will be vetted through the Department of Homeland Security databases.

 

With the ICE training under their belt, Heier and the four other officers will have authorization to place federal holds on inmates found to be in the country illegally...

 

It will allow corrections officers to put immigration holds on inmates for up to 48 hours, until ICE officials can make a decision on whether the person qualifies for deportation.