Immigrants want Mayor Bloomberg to cool ICE's heat, fight fingerprint policy

BY Erica Pearson and Adam Lisberg
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Friday, December 10th 2010, 4:00 AM
Mayor Bloomberg is being called upon to take a stand on ICE's fingerprinting policy.
Groll/AP

Immigrant advocates Thursday demanded Mayor Bloomberg take a stand on a new program that forces cops to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement the fingerprints of anyone arrested.

"We hope that he would take a stand on this. It's supposed to be a sanctuary city," said Angela Fernandez, executive director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

Bloomberg was noncommittal, though, saying there are times when city authorities must ask about immigration status.

"If there is a public safety reason to do it, if you get arrested," Bloomberg said.

ICE officials say the program, called Secure Communities, will flag and remove dangerous criminals who are here illegally.

Opponents say it will make immigrants afraid to go to police and could result in the deportation of domestic violence victims who are sometimes booked by cops after a dispute.

Secure Communities is being rolled out amid confusion about whether cities can opt out.

When the state signed on this spring, ICE assured officials that each county could decide if it would take part in the information exchange, according to a Division of Criminal Justice Services spokesman.

Homeland Security officials now say counties can't opt out completely; they can only delay implementing the program.

Advocates who want Gov. Paterson to cancel the state's agreement with ICE rallied in front of his office yesterday. They also sued the feds - and a judge has ordered ICE to turn over documents that would clarify whether cities or counties can opt out.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/201 ... z17kgCHTLO

Related: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/201 ... _mike.html

Related: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/201 ... ocent.html