An Ohio sheriff who has been an outspoken critic of what he describes as the federal government's failure to secure national borders is looking to put a little bite into his bark.

Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones has sent eight of his deputies to Hall County, Ga., for federal 287(g) immigration enforcement training under the direction of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

After completing the training, which is scheduled to end Feb. 1, the deputies will be able to enforce federal immigration laws.

Sheriff Butler said his office is believed to be the first law enforcement agency in Ohio to operate under the federal program.

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 added section 287(g) — performance of immigration officer functions by state officers and employees — to the Immigration and Naturalization Act.

The section authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform immigration enforcement functions.

"I am pleased we have finally reached this point and look forward to working with ICE as we transition to these new powers," said Sheriff Jones, who has championed the cause for local immigration enforcement powers over the past several years.

"Being part of the 287(g) program will not only assist us with local issues and the deportation of illegal aliens process, but can lead to a closer working relationship with ICE and hopefully the housing of more of their prisoners.

"We're finally on our way to making a difference with illegal immigration in Butler County," he said.

Sheriff Jones has criticized the federal government's failure to secure its borders and has sent bills to federal officials asking for reimbursement for the county for the cost of jailing criminal aliens whom he said should have been stopped at the border.

The sheriff, who also asked the Mexican government to reimburse him in his fight against Mexican-based drug rings in his county, says the Senate's failure to pass an immigration reform bill is reason enough for states to target illegal aliens themselves.

He has called on state officials to enact legislation to deal with what he calls a "continuing illegal-immigration crisis."

"Just in this county alone, the cost to the taxpayers for illegal immigration is $1 million," he said. "Add to that the cost to the citizens throughout the United States and that taxpayer burden is in the hundreds of millions of dollars."

— Jerry Seper, national reporter, The Washington Times