Immigrant community activists say the program, which currently operates in 42 states, is deeply flawed. Since November 2008, more than half of those deported under Secure Communities have not been criminals, leading to fears that police have now become mere extensions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I am deeply dismayed about the federal government's announcement asserting the inability of states and localities to opt out of the harsh and destructive Secure Communities program,” he said.
Contacted by The Irish Emigrant recently, Irish community leaders expressed their exasperation at the government’s stance.
Secure Communities was supposed to make communities safer, with the catching and deporting of serious criminals. Speaker after speaker at the lively meeting denounced the Secure Communities program, with most not calling for changes but for the program to end entirely.
“I’m here asking the government to end this Secure Communities program,” said Blanca Perez, an undocumented worker who was arrested for selling ice cream from a cart on the street and then placed into deportation proceedings. Dozens walked out of the hearing at St. Anne's Residential Facility, shouting “terminate the program!” and calling on task force members to resign.
The task force was formed in response to growing criticism of the Department of Homeland Security enforcement program, which shares fingerprints collected by state and local police to help immigration authorities identify and deport tens of thousands of people each year.
Anna Pembedjian, justice deputy for Antonovich, said the supervisor supports the program and that concerns voiced about immigration enforcement programs in the past have not emerged.
In his statement, Ammiano, who authored proposed legislation to modify Secure Communities, denounced the program. (“resign!”).
Immigration advocacy groups plan to crank up their fight against a controversial federal immigration enforcement program Tuesday with rallies in six major U.S. cities.
Protesters are calling for an end to Secure Communities, through which fingerprints of people arrested and held by police of participating agencies are shared with immigration officials.
Critics of the program say that, unlike the Obama Administration’s assertion that its focus is dangerous criminals, Secure Communities ends up ensnaring many people who have minor offenses or immigration violations, which are civil matters.
A coalition of immigration advocacy and civil rights groups also organized a “National Call-in to Obama,” aimed at lighting up the switchboard Monday at the White House with calls objecting to Secure Communities. The program falls under the watch of the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS.
Several state political leaders and police officials have complained about the program, saying it is, in fact, compromising safety by making immigrants afraid to approach police, either as victims or witnesses to crimes.
Amid the growing criticism, members of a DHS task force formed to review Secure Communities are holding public hearings, including one on Monday night in Los Angeles.
Proponents of strict immigration enforcement praise Secure Communities. They say all immigrants who have broken immigration laws should be deportable.
On its website, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which supports strict immigration policies, said: “FAIR strongly supports full implementation of the Secure Communities program, even as it has been a harsh critic of the administration’s refusal to enforce laws against noncriminal illegal aliens.”
“While Secure Communities is specifically designed to identify and remove criminal aliens, there is no reason why illegal aliens without criminal convictions should not also be deported.