Jun 09 2011
Obama Pushes Anti-Immigrant ‘Secure Communities’ onto States
The Los Angeles City Council this Tuesday voted 11-1 to opt-out of the Department of Homeland Security’s Secure Communities program. Secure Communities is a pillar of current federal immigration policy. States enter into the program voluntarily and agree to share fingerprint data from local arrest records with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Obama administration is reportedly pushing for program implementation in all states and counties by 2013. Secure Communities was sold to participating states as a way to track and deport undocumented immigrants convicted of violent felonies. States were led to believe they could opt-out of the program at any time. But now some states have been told that opting-out is not an option. The Federal government denied the state of New York’s request to end its contract. Massachusetts and Illinois have refused to participate. Meanwhile, in mid-May the Department of Homeland Security disclosed that Secure Communities will be investigated by the Inspector General. The LA City Council vote on Secure Communities came a day after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal challenging California’s policy of extending in-state university tuition to undocumented students. The Court’s docket was heavy with immigration related cases this year. On May 26th the court in a 5-3 ruling upheld an Arizona state law requiring employers to enroll in a program that checks all employees for legal immigration status. On Monday the Supreme Court also ordered a Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia to reexamine a 2010 decision. The Pennsylvania court ruled against laws punishing those who rent housing to, or employ, undocumented immigrants.
GUEST: Laura Rivas, organizer with National Network on Immigrant and Refugee Rights
One Response to “Obama Pushes Anti-Immigrant ‘Secure Communities’ onto States”
It’s sad that people don’t see that not only are these millions in this country illegally but are breaking many more laws in the process and they still don’t see a reason that these criminals should be held responsible for their crimes. Secure Communities fingerprint check only kicks in once someone is arrested. So obviously, they have done something against the law to be arrested. Illegals and the racist advocates think illegals should never be held accountable, no matter how many laws they break. I love Secure Communities and am glad that states will not be allowed to protect illegals anymore. Obama better hold his ground on this or its just another nail in his re-election coffin.