ICE PRESS RELEASE

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – On Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began using a federal information sharing capability in eight additional Oklahoma counties that helps federal immigration officials use biometrics to identify aliens, both lawfully and unlawfully present in the United States, who are booked into local law enforcement’s custody for a crime. This capability is part of Secure Communities-ICE’s comprehensive strategy to improve and modernize the identification and removal of aliens convicted of a crime from the United States.

Previously, biometrics-fingerprints-taken of individuals charged with a crime and booked into custody were checked for criminal history information against the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). Now, through enhanced information sharing between DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), biometrics submitted through the state to the FBI will be automatically checked against both the FBI criminal history records in IAFIS and the biometrics-based immigration records in DHS’s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).

If fingerprints match those of someone in DHS’ biometric system, the new automated process notifies ICE. ICE evaluates each case to determine the individual’s immigration status and takes appropriate enforcement action. This includes aliens who are in lawful status and those who are present without lawful authority. Once identified through fingerprint matching, ICE will respond with a priority placed on aliens convicted of the most serious crimes first-such as those with convictions for major drug offenses, murder, rape and kidnapping.

“The Secure Communities strategy provides ICE with an effective tool to identify criminal aliens in local custody,” said Secure Communities Assistant Director David Venturella. “Enhancing public safety is at the core of ICE’s mission. Our goal is to use biometric information sharing to remove criminal aliens, preventing them from being released back into the community, with little or no additional burden on our law enforcement partners.”

HERE

HERE

Original letter HERE (Click on it to enlarge)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia low on list for ID check

In September, Hawaii’s Big Island and Maui joined Oahu in a federal fingerprint-sharing program aimed at deporting violent illegal [aliens]. The rest of Hawaii is expected to get hooked up to the “Secure Communities” system before October…

HERE

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cherokee fingerprinting for illegal aliens

Cherokee County on Tuesday joined the federal “Secure Communities” fingerprint-sharing program aimed at deporting violent illegal [aliens]. — Under the program, everyone booked into Cherokee County’s jail will now have their fingerprints checked against millions of others held in a U.S. Homeland Security Department database…

HERE

HAPPY DANCE HERE!

Washington Post

Arlington must participate in Secure Communities

Arlington County has no choice but to work with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Secure Communities program. — After a meeting between county and federal officials, County Manager Barbara M. Donnellan wrote a memo to the county board which said, “ICE stated clearly — and with finality — that local activated communities do not have the option of withholding information from the program…

HERE

National League of Cities — Washington
Secure Communities Program Aims To Be Nationwide by 2013

by Mitchel Herckis

In an effort to help local law enforcement identify immigration status of those arrested and booked for crimes, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is rapidly expanding its Secure Communities Initiative. The ultimate goal is for the program to be standard for all local law enforcement, and for the federal government to be able to respond to all matches generated by the program, by 2013.
The Secure Communities Initiative is a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program that aims to remove undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions from the United States by allowing local law enforcement to ascertain arrested individuals’ legal immigration status through accessing federal databases.

As local governments identify undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions, ICE prioritizes enforcement action to apprehend and remove those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety.

According to recent statements by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and other officials, Secure Communities is not viewed as an “opt-in/opt-out” program for local governments. If a state has agreed to participate, it is unlikely communities will find a way to avoid implementation.

Already active in 685 localities across 33 states, DHS credits the program with much of the success in removing a record 195,000 immigrants with criminal convictions during fiscal year (FY) 2010, which ended September 30.

ICE has been focusing on strategic deployment of the biometric identification systems to jurisdictions that are most impacted by violent crime at the hands of those without legal resident status in this country, and will prioritize the processing of those who pose the greatest threat.

In implementing the program, ICE enters into an agreement with each state government, which includes a timeline for deployment across localities. If a local jurisdiction cannot — or will not — meet its deployment timeline, it must formally notify ICE in writing. This will lead to meetings with both the state and federal government entities to attempt to resolve any issues in the implementation.

Secure Communities began in 2008 when Congress approved the funding to “improve and modernize efforts to identify aliens convicted of a crime, sentenced to imprisonment, and who may be deportable, and remove them from the United States once they are judged deportable.”

Visit http://www.ice.gov/secure_communities to read more about the Secure Communities program, and see a complete list of jurisdictions that participate in the program.

National League of Cities

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Wall Street Journal

Deportation program grows

A federal program that scans local jails for illegal [aliens] is being expanded across the state, the latest front in the nation’s battle over immigration policy. — In the past two weeks, Texas became the first border state to fully deploy the Department of Homeland Security program, which is scheduled to be rolled out to all U.S. counties by 2013…

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HERE

56,358 people deported through the Secure Communities program through August! HERE

ADDED DECEMBER 10, 2010: The “G7” send an invitiation to Morton to expain ICE position. HERE

ADDED NOVEMBER 18, 2010: ICE REPLY HERE

In conversations with ICE officials, I recently learned that while several other states already are using the federal Secure Communities program state-wide, Georgia was not scheduled to become fully active until 2013.

Currently, Cobb, Cherokee (soon), Fulton, Muscogee, DeKalb, Clayton, Gwinnett, Whitfield and Hall counties – and all local jails in these counties – are active in the no-cost and very effective Secure Communities program.

The Dustin Inman Society finds the 2013 date unacceptable. We suffer more illegal aliens here than lurk in Arizona.

We are extremely proud and grateful to the Georgia Congressmen who agree with us and have signed on to a letter originated in Congressman Dr. Tom Price’s office asking ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton to alter the target date and make Georgia fully active as soon as possible.

THANK YOU CONGRESSMEN!

The letter from Congressmen Price, Broun, Gingrey, Graves, Kingston and Linder can be read HERE. (CLICK ON IT TO ENLARGE)

We urge readers here to call each Congressional office and and express their gratitude for sending the letter and attention to the increased public safety that comes with the Secure Communities program.

CONTACT INFO HERE .

HERE is an extremely well written news report on Secure Communities for the many who are not yet familiar with this life-saving federal program.

I would have posted this Wednesday, but was quite busy with the Board of Regents and the anti-enforcement mob’s race-baiting rally ( 14 people) against 287(g) here in Cobb County yesterday.

PLEASE CALL THESE CONGRESSMEN AND SAY THANK YOU!

To learn about the anti-enforcement crazies opposition to Secure Communities and 287(g) click HERE.