Sixteen counties around the nation are the latest to join a federal-local law enforcement initiative to identify illegal immigrants with criminal records, prompting new debate about the effectiveness of federal deportation programs.
WASHINGTON -- Sixteen counties around the nation are the latest to join a federal-local law enforcement initiative to identify criminal aliens, prompting new debate about the effectiveness of federal deportation programs.
Since March 31, three counties in Maryland, one in California, one in Oregon, eight in North Carolina and three in Utah have been added to 142 other jurisdictions in 17 states participating in the Secure Communities initiative run by the Homeland Security Department's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
The program cross-references an arrestee's fingerprints with FBI records and the Department of Homeland Security criminal history databases, instantly notifying ICE agents when illegal aliens are in local custody...
