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'Secure Communities' Program Expanded Along U.S.-Mexico
Border
Border
By Eduardo Barraza
BARRIOZONA
August 10 , 2010
Phoenix, Arizona – The federal program known as Secure Communities that identifies undocumented individuals who
have committed crimes has been expanded, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that Secure Communities has now been deployed to all 25 U.
S. counties along the Southwest, U.S.-Mexico border.
The program began as a pilot in October of 2008, during the Administration of former President George W. Bush.
President Obama expanded the program in May 2009. A year ago, Secure Communities was already being operated in
nearly 50 counties throughout the country.
Since 2009, the plan was expanded to screen the fingerprints of 1 million individuals who are booked in local jails, and in
cities like Phoenix, Arizona, Dallas and Houston, Texas, Miami, Florida, Boston, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles,
California.
DHS states they have expanded the Secure Communities initiative from 14 to 544 jurisdictions in the past 18 months.
Further expansion plans will implement the program in virtually every law enforcement jurisdiction in the United States by
2013
"Over the past year and a half, this administration has pursued a new border security strategy through unprecedented
investments in personnel, technology and infrastructure and historic partnerships with Mexico and state and local law
enforcement," Secretary Napolitano stated, as quoted in a press release from DHS.
Through Secure Communities, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is able to use biometric
information in state prisons and local jails. The measure seeks to not only detect but also remove individuals who lack
authorization to be in the United States and who also have criminal records.
"Secure Communities gives the ICE the ability to work with our state and local law enforcement partners to identify
criminal aliens who are already in their custody, expediting their removal and keeping our communities safer," Napolitano
explained.
The program is based on collaborations between DHS, the Department of Justice, and state and local law enforcement
agencies. It consists in the collection of digital fingerprints during the booking process, which then are checked against
FBI criminal history records and DHS immigration records.
In enforcing the Secure Communities program, ICE identifies in jails and prisons individuals whose immigration record
matches, and begins and expedites their removal proceedings.
According to DHS’s data, the program has identified to date more than 262,900 foreigners in jails and prisons. These
individuals have been charged with or convicted of criminal offenses, including more than 39,000 charged with or
convicted of major violent or drug offenses (level 1 offenses).
Secure Communities is credited with removing from the United States over 34,600 convicted criminals who lack legal
status. This amount includes more than 9,800 convicted of major violent or drug offenses (level 1 offenses).
Over the past 18 months, the Obama administration has dedicated unprecedented resources to the Southwest border,
leading to increases in seizures of illicit narcotics, weapons, and bulk cash, as well as decreases in border crossings.
Copyright © 2010 Hispanic Institute of Social Issues
BARRIOZONA
August 10 , 2010
Phoenix, Arizona – The federal program known as Secure Communities that identifies undocumented individuals who
have committed crimes has been expanded, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that Secure Communities has now been deployed to all 25 U.
S. counties along the Southwest, U.S.-Mexico border.
The program began as a pilot in October of 2008, during the Administration of former President George W. Bush.
President Obama expanded the program in May 2009. A year ago, Secure Communities was already being operated in
nearly 50 counties throughout the country.
Since 2009, the plan was expanded to screen the fingerprints of 1 million individuals who are booked in local jails, and in
cities like Phoenix, Arizona, Dallas and Houston, Texas, Miami, Florida, Boston, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles,
California.
DHS states they have expanded the Secure Communities initiative from 14 to 544 jurisdictions in the past 18 months.
Further expansion plans will implement the program in virtually every law enforcement jurisdiction in the United States by
2013
"Over the past year and a half, this administration has pursued a new border security strategy through unprecedented
investments in personnel, technology and infrastructure and historic partnerships with Mexico and state and local law
enforcement," Secretary Napolitano stated, as quoted in a press release from DHS.
Through Secure Communities, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is able to use biometric
information in state prisons and local jails. The measure seeks to not only detect but also remove individuals who lack
authorization to be in the United States and who also have criminal records.
"Secure Communities gives the ICE the ability to work with our state and local law enforcement partners to identify
criminal aliens who are already in their custody, expediting their removal and keeping our communities safer," Napolitano
explained.
The program is based on collaborations between DHS, the Department of Justice, and state and local law enforcement
agencies. It consists in the collection of digital fingerprints during the booking process, which then are checked against
FBI criminal history records and DHS immigration records.
In enforcing the Secure Communities program, ICE identifies in jails and prisons individuals whose immigration record
matches, and begins and expedites their removal proceedings.
According to DHS’s data, the program has identified to date more than 262,900 foreigners in jails and prisons. These
individuals have been charged with or convicted of criminal offenses, including more than 39,000 charged with or
convicted of major violent or drug offenses (level 1 offenses).
Secure Communities is credited with removing from the United States over 34,600 convicted criminals who lack legal
status. This amount includes more than 9,800 convicted of major violent or drug offenses (level 1 offenses).
Over the past 18 months, the Obama administration has dedicated unprecedented resources to the Southwest border,
leading to increases in seizures of illicit narcotics, weapons, and bulk cash, as well as decreases in border crossings.
Copyright © 2010 Hispanic Institute of Social Issues
| Grassroots Journalism www.barriozona.com |
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that Secure Communities has now been
deployed to all 25 U.S. counties along the Southwest, U.S. Mexico border.
deployed to all 25 U.S. counties along the Southwest, U.S. Mexico border.
