The Mecklenburg County sheriff's office said 578 people were placed in deportation proceedings and 288 people ultimately deported through the federal 287 (g) program over the last year. Those numbers were released Wednesday at a public meeting.
Under the 287 (g) program, the sheriff's office, which runs the county jail, checks the immigration status of anyone arrested, and notifies U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of anyone who's believed to have entered the country illegally. The office's participation in the program is voluntary.
Numbers from previous years were not provided, and the sheriff's office could not say how many of those deported last year were convicted of a crime.
Around 50 people attended the meeting, which grew heated. Many attendees were frustrated that more information wasn't provided.
Information posted on the Sheriff's website says since 2006, when the office began the program, 15,349 people have been placed into deportation proceedings. Of those, the sheriff's office says 3,857, or about 25 percent, were arrested and charged with a DWI.
WFAE's Marshall Terry contributed.
Correction: A previous version of the story incorrectly stated the sheriff's office does not make 287 (g) statistics available on its website.
