Police Not Set Up To Arrest Illegal Immigrants

(AP) LONGMONT, Colo. These days, with discussion about immigration and integration making local, state and national headlines, one question keeps coming up: If so many people are breaking immigration laws, why don't police officers arrest them?

The answer is a simple combination of two factors: a lack of resources and a system that is not set up for local agencies to enforce a federal law.

"The federal government at this point is not interested in status offenders," said Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle. "That's clearly the message we get time and time again."

That means an illegal immigrant who otherwise follows the law and stays out of trouble faces almost no chance of being forcibly deported. And even those who make minor missteps, such as shoplifting or driving without insurance, likely won't be sent home.

Read the entire AP article at CBS 4 Denver.