EDITORIAL:Information about immigration-check program must be supplied

Now that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have agreed to check the immigration status of suspects being held in the Costa Mesa jail, city leaders can finally put to rest the rancor of the past year over Mayor Allan Mansoor’s plan to train the city’s police to do the job.

And it will save the city’s taxpayers the expense of training. It should be considered a victory for everyone.

Mansoor has acknowledged this and said he wants to focus now on new issues.

But he could get dragged back into the debate when residents see how often local officers arrest an illegal immigrant.

The issue of immigration checks became a highly politicized one. The mayor’s opponents accused him of targeting the city’s Latino community with a racist campaign.

He has consistently denied that and his supporters shot back that it was a law-and-order issue and questioned how anyone could approve of lawlessness.

Many are now waiting to see how many of those arrested are in the country illegally. Consider that Mansoor got a lot of political mileage by pointing out how a few illegal immigrants arrested in Costa Mesa were sex offenders.

So how will his opponents react if it’s reported that only a smattering of those in the city’s jails were in the country illegally? And if they had committed minor crimes?

Or how much will his supporters crow if it turns out the immigration checks reveal a high number of illegal immigrants in Costa Mesa?

Either way, Costa Mesa residents have a right to know. Authorities are obligated to let residents know how effective the federal government’s program is.

As soon as federal and local officials can determine those statistics, we urge them to release them to the public.

Since Mansoor made this issue the major plank in his reelection campaign, it’s fair to say the people have already spoken and want a crackdown on illegal immigration in Costa Mesa. So it’s only fair to also say they have a right to know if the new program to combat the problem is working.