Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Groups protest implementation of secure communities program

c/o San Mateo Daily Journal 

More than a dozen social justice groups yesterday protested the implementation of a federal initiative in San Mateo County that will automatically send fingerprints of crime suspects to the Department of Homeland Security immigration database.

“We really need to take a look at the larger picture of what we’re doing to families and kids,” the Rev. Anna Lange-Soto said at a news conference on the steps of the San Mateo County courthouse.

The Secure Communities program, which began in San Mateo County, calls for the fingerprints of those arrested to be automatically sent to the Department of Homeland Security immigration database.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice has said the program is intended to catch potential criminals who are in the country illegally but could be let back out on the streets because they are not providing accurate information about their residency status when they are booked.

Secure Communities has already been implemented in more than 160 jurisdictions in 20 states, including in Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano and Sonoma counties. ICE intends to deploy the system nationwide by 2013.  :::MORE HERE::: 

1 comment:

ian Carruthers said...

That is just creepy, creepy wrong. Absolutely, it's about families and kids. Look at Arizona! You can get taken in for "Driving while brown," and not speaking un-accented English.

Effed up!