Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Federal Authorities say Secure Communities Program not Optional

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security informed dozens of states that they cannot opt out of the controversial fingerprinting program known as Secure Communities, designed to identify and deport undocumented immigrants with criminal records. In a letter sent to 39 Governors, federal officials informed them that any previous agreements over the program were now […]

Reaction to Secure Communities Program continues to vary state to state

A controversial immigration enforcement program has been suspended in New York while Texas looks to expand it. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently suspended the Secure Communities program, which is administered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is designed to target serious criminals for deportation.  The program allows local law enforcement officials to compare the […]

By the Numbers: AZ-Type Law Would Devastate Florida

Let’s call it the economic imperative; the argument against stringent immigration laws that had success in Arizona and Utah. The argument makes a case in favor of immigrants for a very sound economic reason – immigrants are vital to the economic well being of the state. In Arizona and in Utah the message was carried by state […]

Colorado Governor Expected to Announce Agreement with ICE Today

After months of negotiations with federal officials, outgoing Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter is expected to announce an agreement over the Secure Communities program later today. The agreement is likely to make it easier to deport undocumented immigrants booked into Colorado jails. Before agreeing to implement the Secure Communities program, which matches fingerprints of people in […]

Large Disparities in Noncriminal Deportations under US Program to Deport Criminal Undocumented Immigrants in Some Parts of Country

Up to a quarter of undocumented immigrants deported under Secure Communities, a federal program that is meant to identify criminals who are in the country illegally, had a clean criminal record and in some areas more than half of deportees had never been convicted of a crime, according to government statistics. In Maryland’s Prince George’s […]