ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IDENTIFIED THROUGH SECURE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM

Illegal Immigrants Identified Through Secure Communities Program

Jul 28, 2010 Michael Streich


Illegat Immigration a Primary Issue in the US - Boss Tweed FlickrSecure Communities, a program of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, compares fingerprints of all persons arrested by local law enforcement.

Secure Communities is a program developed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency that involves local law enforcement officers in the identification of illegal immigrants, without acting as immigration enforcement officials, a major criticism of the ICE 287(g) program. According to ICE, “The secure communities strategy responds to the identification challenge by combining biometric check of criminal history and immigration status of individuals in their custody.” Advocates of immigrant groups, however, criticize the program for a variety of reasons.

Secure Communities and the Processing of Fingerprints
Under the program, the fingerprints of persons arrested will be cross-referenced with data bases of the FBI’s Integrated Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) as well as the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) facilitated by the Department of Homeland Security. Within hours, immigration status can be determined. Persons identified as illegals will be deported upon disposition of their cases.

Forsyth County, North Carolina is the latest to implement the Secure Communities program. According to the Carolina Journal (in a December 12, 2005 item), “During the 1990s, North Carolina had the fastest growing Hispanic population of any state…” At that time, 65% of all Hispanics in North Carolina were illegal. In April 2006, NC Congresswoman Sue Myrick wrote that “North Carolina has the 8th largest illegal alien population in the country…”

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Be an Immigration Officer Earn A Degree In Criminal Justice Online On Your Own Time. Get Info! www.CriminalJustice-Info.comDrug Crime Lawyers Get Online Legal Help Now. 24 Hours/7days, Free Consultation! www.NoCuffs.com/DrugsIn Forsyth County, with a high unemployment rate, illegal immigration is a hot topic. Readers responding to a Winston Salem Journal (July 28, 2010) story on the implementation of Secure Communities by county Sheriff Bill Schatzman left comments on the newspaper’s website that were 98% in favor of the program.

Secure Communities is “Better than Nothing”
The hotly debated Arizona law designed to interdict illegal immigrants signed into law on April 23, 2010 has raised national awareness of the immigration issue and the need for reform. In North Carolina, State Senator Don East introduced a similar resolution on May 27, 2010. Secure Communities, however, may result in more deportations than any such law.

Debra Conrad, a Forsyth County Commissioner who advocated for the implementation of ICE 287(g), was quoted by the Winston Salem Journal saying that Secure Communities is “better than nothing.” According to the Pew Hispanic Center, “Immigration offenses now represent about one-quarter of all federal convictions…” (February 18, 2009 report)

Read on
Mexico is Suing Arizona
American Immigration Law and its Effects
Arizona State Senate Bill 1070
Objections to Secure Communities and ICE Programs
In a July 15, 2010 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Frank Rizzo, a Philadelphia councilman, took issue with his mayor’s objections to Secure Communities. The chief criticisms involve other illegal immigrants that are victims or witnesses to crimes afraid to come forward and assist the police. As Rizzo writes, “witness and victim information can be filtered out, as immigration officials are not using it anyway.”

In North Carolina, Hernando Ramierez, editor of Que Pasa, cited the same criticisms in the July 28, 2010 Winston Salem Journal: “It is a very scared community. People don’t want to talk with police…” National Public Radio (NPR) on July 28, 2010 interviewed Congressman Luis Gutierrez about ICE deportation programs and stated, “Gutierrez suspects the administration is trying to earn credibility with hard-core opponents of illegal immigration in hopes they’ll come around to supporting compromise legislation.”

Opponents of Secure Communities also point to racial profiling. ICE policies, however, strictly prohibit racial profiling. Under 287(g), “racial profiling is simply not something that will be tolerated; and any indication of profiling will be treated with the utmost scrutiny…” Secure Communities, however, mandates that all persons arrested will have their fingerprints submitted.

Deportation of Illegal Immigrants without State Laws
The Justice Department has argued that immigration control is a federal issue. States like Arizona, according to the DOJ, are infringing on federal responsibilities as defined in the Constitution. According to NPR, ICE “says it’s on track to expel some 400,000 people this year (2010).” 50% of immigrant deportations “had some kind of criminal record.” This may be more powerful than the Arizona law.

Secure Communities sees its mission as the removal of “criminal aliens.” Unlike 287(g), it does not empower local law enforcement agencies to act as deputized immigration officers. Through technology, illegal immigrants are identified and ultimately deported.


© 2010 Michael Streich


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