Wow, Georgia has 159 counties.

Cherokee Fingerprinting for Illegal Immigrants
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cherokee County - Georgia, on Tuesday joined the federal "Secure Communities" fingerprint-sharing program aimed at deporting violent illegal immigrants.

Under the program, everyone booked into Cherokee County’s jail will now have their fingerprints checked against millions of others held in a U.S. Homeland Security Department database.

The federal government collects fingerprints from a variety of people, including those caught crossing the U.S. border illegally. When federal authorities find fingerprint matches in their system, they could seek to deport people held in Cherokee's jail. But that would be done only after their criminal charges have been adjudicated and after they have completed sentences for any crimes they committed in the U.S.

Cherokee sheriff’s deputies don’t have to do anything differently to participate. They already check fingerprints of everyone booked into their jail with state and federal databases as they seek to confirm identities and search for criminal histories and arrest warrants. Now those fingerprints will also automatically be checked against the Homeland Security database.

Critics say these new federal checks can lead to racial profiling and discourage immigrants from reporting crimes. But proponents say witnesses who haven’t committed any crimes have nothing to worry about. And regarding the concern about racial profiling, supporters point out that everyone booked into a jail has their fingerprints checked through this program, whether they are suspected of being in the country illegally or not.

"We are pleased to be participating in this program and will aggressively pursue all efforts to identify persons who are in this country illegally and have them removed in accordance with all state and federal laws," Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison said in a statement.

The Secure Communities screenings are already taking place in 788 jurisdictions in 34 states, including Cobb, Clayton, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Hall, Muscogee and Whitfield counties, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE plans to get the system running nationwide by 2013. Since the program started in 2008, ICE has deported more than 50,600 immigrants convicted of crimes.

http://www.ajc.com/news/cherokee/cherok ... 43598.html