‘Secure Communities’ plan threatens immigrants (That's the illegal immigrants.)

The Queens Courier ^ | September 8, 2010 | AISHA AL-MUSLIM

[neverdem]

Courtesy of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
The steps of the Secure Communities immigration enforcement program from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

BY AISHA AL-MUSLIM

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 1:16 PM EDT

When New York State approved a new immigration enforcement program on May 10, there was no public outcry like in Arizona because N.Y.’s decision was kept secret, immigrant rights groups said.

“In a way, it’s worse,” said Elizabeth Wagoner, senior staff attorney at Make the Road New York, based in Jackson Heights. “I don’t think you can compare the two. I think it is worse than the Arizona law.”

Unlike Arizona, N.Y.’s choice didn’t result from a legislative process or debate, Wagoner said. The New York State’s Division of Criminal Justice Services signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that committed New York State to participate in the federal Secure Communities program. As of August, DHS had expanded the Secure Communities initiative from 14 to 544 jurisdictions in a year and a half, and DHS plans to expand the program to every law enforcement jurisdiction in the country by 2013.

“Secure Communities gives 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,” said DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano in August.

The program requires police agencies to check the digital fingerprints of all arrested individuals during the booking process against FBI criminal history records and DHS immigration records. Wagoner said immigrant groups are concerned that the program will also target low-level offenders and people who have never been convicted of a crime.

“This is an automated system that sweeps up everybody who gets arrested,” Wagoner said. “We think it was a terrible decision. We are asking the New York State government to repeal it.”

Immigrant rights groups were caught off-guard by N.Y.’s decision to participate in the program which has not yet implemented the program.

Gabriella Villareal, immigration advocacy policy coordinator at New York Immigration Coalition, an umbrella advocacy organization with nearly 200 immigrant member organizations across the state, said federal immigration programs like this one undermine policing by destroying law enforcement agencies’ relationships of trust with immigrant communities.

The concern is that without trust, many immigrant New Yorkers will be less likely to report crimes or cooperate with police as witnesses. That’s why immigrant right groups and civil groups are asking the New York Police Department (NYPD) and local sheriffs in the state to opt out of it.

“There is a concern that police will be seen as immigration enforcement,” Villareal said. “It is a real concern for public safety.”

A spokesperson for Mayor Michael Bloomberg said because Secure Communities is a state program, the city doesn’t have anything to do with it. But an NYPD spokesperson said their policy is not to inquire about the immigration status of crime victims, witnesses, or others who call the police seeking assistance.

“It is incumbent upon the NYPD to maintain the trust and confidence of all who depend on the services of the police department for their safety,” said Detective Cheryl Crispin, an NYPD spokesperson.

So far, Secure Communities has identified more than 262,900 illegal immigrants in jails and prisons that had been charged with or convicted of criminal offenses, and removed from the United States over 34,600 convicted undocumented criminals, according to DHS.

“The reality is that 79 percent of people deported are not criminals or were picked up for minor defenses like traffic stops,” Wagner said.

For more information about Secure Communities, visit: www.ice.gov/secure_communities.

For a copy of the agreement signed between ICE and NYS, visit:

http://www.ice.gov/doclib/foia/secure_communities-moa/r_new_york.pdf.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Our homicide laws "threaten" murderers too! We're so mean to lawbreakers in this country!

sarc/

[ought-six]

The article said that the program “...undermine(s) policing by destroying law enforcement agencies’ relationships of trust with immigrant communities.” If those immigrants are here legally they have nothing to be concerned about, so that comment is bogus on its face.

[rabscuttle385]

and people who have never been convicted of a crime.

If you are here illegally, then yes, you have committed a crime.

[HiJinx]

Ping!

[neverdem]

"...and people who have never been convicted of a crime."

If you are here illegally, then yes, you have committed a crime.

But they haven't been convicted of any crime yet. I wonder if they actually get convictions for illegal immigration, or if they just deport.

[HiJinx]

They get convictions down here in the Tucson sector - there is a zero tolrance program that puts illegal crossers in jail for up to six months after which they are deported.

If they’re caught crossing again, they’ve committed a felony offense and get locked up for a few years before deportation.

Nice tool, but it comes at a hefty taxpayer expense. To be honest, I don’t mind paying it if it cuts down on all the other costs we’d be facing from illegals.

[DoorGunner]

>>”So far, Secure Communities has identified more than 262,900 illegal immigrants in jails and prisons that had been charged with or convicted of criminal offenses, and removed from the United States over 34,600 convicted undocumented criminals, according to DHS.

“The reality is that 79 percent of people deported are not criminals or were picked up for minor defenses like traffic stops,” Wagner said.”

This exemplifies the moral bankruptcy of “immigration enforcement.” A little over 13% of the illegal infiltrators “caught” were actually sent home.

Essentially every illegal infiltrator has committed/is committing federal felony frauds, but only 13% are sent home. Then, this Wagner has the gall to claim that 79% of THAT 13% “are not criminals!”

People, we MUST stop pretending that serial felons are “not criminals.” We MUST stop luring illegals with with jobs, and by not prosecuting felons for ordinary crimes merely because of their status as illegals.

DG

[Vigilanteman]

The concern is that without trust, many immigrant New Yorkers will be less likely to report crimes or cooperate with police as witnesses.

And they have such an impeccable record of doing it now, don't they?

One place I would like to encourage illegal immigrant cooperation is in the collection of back wages. There must be millions of dollars in uncollected taxes on the difference to minimum and sub-minimum wages. Any illegal aliens who come forward to rat out such employers ought to be able to collect back wages plus a share of the payroll taxes their unscrupulous employers failed to remit on those back wages.

The potential for a nice bank account in their country of origin to be waiting for them when they report for deportation would be incentive for a lot of them to come forward and for a lot of their employers to rethink the true cost of hiring cheap labor once their former employees begin to put the touch on them for back wages and payroll taxes.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the info!

[The Comedian]

Step 4: Register as Democrat

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Cheerio]

If you are here illegally, then yes, you have committed a crime.

And in many states it is more than just A crime. In many cases they are (1) driving without a valid license in that state, (2) probably do not have auto insurance which is required in many states in order to drive, and (3) probably have either a fake ID or stolen ID in order to do the work that lazy Americans will not do. /s

[Myrddin]

Nice tool, but it comes at a hefty taxpayer expense. To be honest, I don’t mind paying it if it cuts down on all the other costs we’d be facing from illegals.

Recently a couple illegals set a "signal fire" that turned into an 8,000 acre "Cowboy Fire". The cost to put it out was almost $3 million. The perpetrators were not caught. We could incarcerate them for a very long time for $3 million. If it kept them from lighting more "signal fires", it would be money well spent.

BTW, this was in San Diego County near Potrero.

[wac3rd]

Mexicans & Muslims - the Anglo fight in the 2000’s

[Carry_Okie]

Any system installed for "tracking aliens" is even more capable of tracking Americans.

I don't want them tracked; I want them gone. Put a $500 bounty on delivering illegals to law enforcement with a $5,000 fine for aliens legitimately here.

Done.

[Dante3]

Illegal aliens have broken our laws - for which they demand perks. Their sense of entitlement is sociopathic.