Civil libertarians and immigrant advocates are accusing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of withholding court-ordered information about its controversial Secure Communities program.

 

Secure Communities is meant to search out violent felons among the immigrant population by checking fingerprints collected from local law enforcement. Critics have accused homeland security officials of using the program to locate and deport non-criminal illegal immigrants. When the state of Illinois asked to withdraw from the program two weeks ago, Governor Pat Quinn noted that only 20% of those deported from Illinois had been convicted of serious crimes.

 

After the Center for Constitutional Rights, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and the Immigration Justice Clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law filed a lawsuit against DHS and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service, a federal court ordered ICE to release thousands of electronic files containing emails, statistical information and policies related to states and local communities “opting-out” of Secure Communities. The plaintiffs have sought to demonstrate that DHS and ICE have been deceiving the public on the mandatory nature of the program.

 

ICE is now attempting to avoid handing over the electronic files’ labeling data, formatting information and trail of recipients. Plaintiffs say federal immigration officials are trying to hide records disclosing uncertainty over the legality of forcing jurisdictions to share fingerprints with DHS and ICE.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

DHS Accused of Hiding Fingerprinting Data (by Aliya Sternstein, NextGov)

Illinois Tries to Opt Out of Federal Deportation Program (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Quarter of Those Deported Through Violent Illegals Program Have No Criminal Record (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)