Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Illinois wants out of a supposedly voluntary federal program in which state law enforcement agencies inform immigration agents about illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. But the Obama administration is refusing to let Illinois out of the program, saying in effect that it’s not voluntary after all.
Governor Pat Quinn informed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a May 4 letter that state police were requesting to withdraw from the Secure Communities program operated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service. That program, which involves the sharing of fingerprints, resulted in the deportation of 72,000 people from the U.S. last year.
Officials in Illinois and other states have questioned the purpose of Secure Communities, which ICE says is all about getting rid of dangerous illegal immigrants who have been convicted of serious crimes. But Quinn stated in his letter that 30% those deported had never been convicted of any crime, much less a serious one, and that only 20% of those deported from Illinois had been convicted of serious crimes. Consequently, Quinn called the program “flawed.”
Last month, U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren of California demanded an investigation into Secure Communities, claiming Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano and other DHS officials had provided “dishonest” communication about the program. DHS responded to Lofgren by saying local governments could opt out.
But that is apparently not the case, because DHS has told Illinois it can’t withdraw from Secure Communities.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Illinois Terminates Secure Communities, Advances DREAM Act (by Julianne Hing, Color Lines)
DHS Overrides State, Says Illinois Must Share Fingerprint Data for Deportations (by Elise Foley, Huffington Post)
Letter to Homeland Security (Illinois Governor Pat Quinn) (pdf)
Quarter of Those Deported Through Violent Illegals Program Have No Criminal Record (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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