Thread: New immigration enforcement programs take shape

New immigration enforcement programs take shape
By: David Sherfinski

July 31, 2009

The federal program used by Prince William and Loudoun counties to curb illegal immigration is coming under increasing scrutiny as two new enforcement programs take shape on Capitol Hill.

The program, known as 287(g), deputizes local police to enforce immigration laws. One relatively new plan, Secure Communities, has local officers scan the fingerprints of individuals arrested and check them with government databases. E-Verify is a Web-based system that electronically verifies the residency status of workers.

Herndon implemented the E-Verify system in February, and Fairfax County began using the Secure Communities program in March.

"I think Secure Communities is a much more attractive model than 287(g)" and it accomplishes many of the same things, said Marc Rosenblum, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. The institute is a nonpartisan think tank the analyzes worldwide migration.

The Senate passed a three-year extension of E-Verify this month and appropriated $196 million for the Secure Communities program. The House had previously voted to spend $200 million on the program.

As they expand, the two programs are being closely monitored.

"All that is necessary to obtain employment using E-Verify is to uncover a U.S. citizen's Social Security number and to produce a credible fake ID with that U.S. citizen's name and address," said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "Only by creating a biometric-based federal employment verification system will both employers and employees have the peace of mind that all employment relationships are both lawful and proper."

Because Secure Communities is a new program, many questions remain unanswered, said Michele Waslin, a senior policy analyst with the Immigration Policy Center, the research arm of the American Immigration Law Foundation.

She said that as Secure Communities grew -- it's now used in more than 50 jurisdictions nationwide -- it appeared that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was shifting its focus away from 287(g). But that theory was somewhat debunked when ICE announced this month that 11 new jurisdictions wanted to join the program, she said.

"They appear to be growing both of the programs," she said. "There are just many more questions than answers at this point. It's É unclear what it would mean if one jail had both programs, for example."


dsherfinski@washingtonexaminer.com


http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local ... 45101.html

287g-Yes!

Biometrics- No! 666 on the way!