In Abrupt Shift, ICE Announces Secure Communities to be Imposed on States

In a late Friday announcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) declared that the memoranda of agreement (MOAs) previously executed with 42 states to implement the Secure Communities program were “terminated,” opining that no agreement with states or local law enforcement was necessary.

Source:  AILA.ORG

Secure Communities compels local law enforcement officers to share information about new arrests with federal immigration authorities, but its tendency to cause the deportations of immigrants who have no criminal record or committed only minor offenses has generated a backlash from law enforcement officials, immigrant communities and state lawmakers. Govs. Andrew Cuomo of New York, Patrick Quinn of Illinois and Deval Patrick of Massachusetts cited such concerns when they moved to suspend their states’ participation in the program, rejections that amounted to rebukes from Democrats and allies of President Barack Obama.  Source:  IBN TIMES

“With three governors publicly opposing the use of Secure Communities in their states, ICE is now imposing the program on them rather than working to respond to their concerns,” said AILA President Eleanor Pelta.

According to the IBN Times, “Obama has faced intensifying criticism for embracing a raft of aggressive immigration enforcement policies that have resulted in a record number of deportations, Secure Communities among them. He has promised to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, telling Latino supporters recently that Republicans are preventing a compromise, but his decision to double down on Secure Communities has provided immigrant advocates with another example of what they see as doublespeak.”

ICE statistics show that nearly 60% of those arrested are not serious criminals. “Secure Communities casts too wide a net. It’s not achieving the agency’s top priorities,” said AILA President Eleanor Pelta.  “By destroying relationships between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, the program actually makes communities insecure. This is not smart enforcement.”

This is a fascinating turn of events.  How will the Obama Administration reach out to the Latino Community in the upcoming Presidential Elections?  Deportations are at record levels and now we witness the decision to have ICE impose Secure Communities on each state.  I would not be surprised to see Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney meeting with prominent Latino leaders in the upcoming months.