Articles Posted in ICE

Opponents of the federal program called Secure Communities are speaking out in protest saying a program that was created to catch illegal immigrants with criminal records is now forcing individuals who are non-criminals to be deported.

According to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, an estimated 1 in 4 individuals are deported by Secure Communities that had no prior criminal convictions. For instance, more than half the people in Franklin County, Ohio where Secure Communities was adopted in January 2010 were deported with no criminal record.

Many opponents of the program, like chairman of the Ohio Hispanic Coalition Joe Luis Mas are urging the President and the federal government to push immigration agents to focus on immigrants with convictions and change how Secure Communities works. Additionally, others like the spokesman for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network B. Loewe fear the program allows law enforcement to use racial profiling.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program “Secure Communities” was activated in the following county on April 19, 2011: Wicomico. Currently, all counties in Maryland use the program except Montgomery and Baltimore City.

Frederick County and Anne Arundel County participate in the 287(g) program, which is more expansive than Secure Communities.

The implementation of Secure Communities into these counties means that individuals arrested and fingerprinted by the police will also have their fingerprints cross-checked against those stored in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) database. If an individual who was arrested in one of the previously mentioned counties is discovered to be in the United States illegally, deportation proceedings will begin immediately.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program “Secure Communities” was activated in the following counties as of April 12, 2011: Allegany, Garrett, and Washington. Currently, all counties in Maryland use the program except Montgomery, Wicomico and Baltimore City.

Frederick County and Anne Arundel County participate in the 287(g) program, which is more expansive than Secure Communities.

The implementation of Secure Communities into these counties means that individuals arrested and fingerprinted by the police will also have their fingerprints cross-checked against those stored in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) database. If an individual who was arrested in one of the previously mentioned counties is discovered to be in the United States illegally, deportation proceedings will begin immediately.