Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Illinois Governor Halts Spread Of ICE Secure Communities Program In State

Newly elected Chicago Mayor Emanuel to continue Chicago's sanctuary ordinance for undocumented immigrants.

By H. Nelson Goodson
March 29, 2011

Chicago - On Sunday, the New York Times reported that last spring Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officials had pressured officials in Chicago and Cook County to implement the Secure Communities program. Both Chicago and Cook County officials refused citing a sanctuary ordinance prohibiting officials from getting involved in enforcement of immigration laws.
E-mails from ICE released through the Freedom of Information Act to National Day Laborer Organizing Network, an immigrant rights organization revealed the controversial tactics used by ICE and the mass deportations of non-criminal undocumented immigrants. The ICE e-mails showed that Chicago and Cook County were seen as testing areas to see, if they could be exempted from joining Secure Communities. In an e-mail, Brian Hale, spokesperson for ICE says, the agency doesn't need permission from state or local officials to implement Secure Communities.
On the contrary, the program is offered by ICE as a voluntary program, which signs agreements with state police agencies and then tries to enroll county sheriff's and city police departments into the program. The county sheriff's then share fingerprinting data of suspected undocumented immigrants held on criminal cases and convicted criminals with Homeland Security and ICE. The program is supposed to only target undocumented criminals for their removal. according to the ICE website.
Data released through February 2011 by ICE indicated that the agency processed 32 percent of undocumented immigrants for deportation without criminal convictions through Secure Communities from 26 of 102 Illinois counties using the program.
Nationally, 28 percent of those deported through the program had no criminal convictions, according to ICE.
In November, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's Office issued an order for the state police to stop enrolling counties and implementing the program, pending a review of how the program was being implemented and carried out. The Illinois State Police joined the program in November 2009.
Newly elected Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) will adhere to Chicago's sanctuary ordinance, the New York Times reported.

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