Thread: Alabama: Fingerprint traffic violators to track illegals

Official: Fingerprint traffic violators to track illegals
Thursday, October 11, 2007
By BOB LOWRY
Times Staff Writer bob.lowry@htimes.com
MONTGOMERY - A law enforcement official said Wednesday the state could keep better track of illegal immigrants by fingerprinting them when they are pulled over for traffic offenses and have no valid driver's licenses.

Assistant Attorney General Haran Lowe, who is assigned to the Department of Public Safety, told a state immigration commission that similar program has been successful in Tennessee and several other states.

"Tennessee has a rule, 'No DL, Go to Jail,' " he said. "If we amend our traffic laws so that if you're driving without a driver's license or a suspended or revoked driver's license, make it a jailable offense."

Then, Lowe said, the offender could be fingerprinted and released on a signature bond.

"He may change names the next week, but he won't change fingerprints," he said. "He may not show up (to pay a fine), but you're going to catch him again (with fingerprints on record)."

Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, a member of the Joint Patriotic Immigration Commission, said he believed such a bill could be approved by the Legislature next year.

The commission, created by the Legislature to make recommendations on dealing with illegal immigration, heard Wednesday from state Department of Education, Department of Health and DPS officials.

Twenty-one state troopers were trained in 2003 to enforce federal immigration law, said Lowe. The training gave them the authorization to question, detain and arrest illegal immigrants.

That number has now expanded to 56, but most of them are assigned to driver's license offices around the state, said Lowe.

"We are a reactive force, not a proactive force," he said. "We don't go out looking for undocumented people. If they come to our place of business (driver's license offices), they can get arrested."

Cpl. Ronni Fetty of DPS's Hearing/Fraud Unit said troopers, for example, don't typically respond to domestic violence calls. But if they are called for backup by local law enforcement and encounter an undocumented worker, they will make an arrest.

"We don't have to prosecute 'em, we don't have to hold 'em," said Lowe. "They are picked up by the U.S. marshals."

About 400 undocumented immigrants have been arrested in Alabama and deported over the past four years, said Lowe.

Meanwhile, Craig Pouncey, assistant state superintendent of education for administrative and financial services, said local school systems are struggling with the influx of non-English speaking students.

The state allocates about $6,000 per pupil, per year to assist, but he said it is burdensome for many school districts and aging teachers.

"We in the state of Alabama have got to do a better job in providing professional development and learning opportunities for our veteran teachers who never thought they would have to attempt to try to teach students who could not speak English," said Pouncey. "Our universities need to expand those learning opportunities. All teacher education students should have an awareness of effective instructional methodology that could benefit these students because we know they're not going away."

Dr. Don Williamson, state health officer, said his agency's concerns in working with immigrants center on preventing communicable diseases such as tuberculosis; making sure pregnant women get prenatal care to improve infant mortality rates; and preventing unplanned pregnancies.

Williamson said the birth rate among Hispanics has risen by 21/2-fold over the past five years.

He said emergency room services for illegal immigrants in Alabama is costing hospitals "millions of dollars" annually because federal law requires that no one presenting with an emergency can be turned away.


www.al.com

Fingerprint and deport.

I agree with this because they delibertly do not carry ID. Well, unless they are going to start cutting their fingers off...

However, this is biometric tracking.

Dixie

Maybe they can also solve some crimes with these fingerprints. My question is how they can pull illegals over, you get no speakee English, no ID, no drivers license, no insurance and they let them go. This would never happen to an American.

YES FINGERPRINT THEM. I BET IT WOULDNT TAKE MUCH TO INVENT A DEVICE THAT WOULD JUST READ YOUR FINGERPRINT. LIKE A TOUCHPAD THAT YOU CAN JUST TOUCH YOUR FINGER TO IT AND IT READS YOUR PRINT. THAT WAS IT COULD GO STRAIGHT TO A COMPUTER. AND EASIER FOR THE COP TOO.