Elizabeth Warren: Secure Communities Act would create ‘barriers’
By Hillary Chabot
Thursday, March 22, 2012 - Added 3 hours ago
6 comments
Democratic Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren, following Gov. Deval Patrick’s lead, continues to buck the Obama administration about a controversial program aimed at deporting illegal aliens who commit crimes.
She stood her ground today saying she worries the program might hurt public safety despite testimony from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano indicating otherwise.
“In the end we really need Secure Communities; that’s the system that links the fingerprint check that you do for criminal history to the immigration check,” Napolitano told a congressional committee this week. She indicated there are safeguards to ensure illegal immigrants aren’t deported for reporting crimes.
Warren’s concerns mirror those of Patrick, who refused to sign on the Secure Communities Act last year. Secure Communities uses fingerprints taken by local police during arrests to detect illegals.
Sen. Scott Brown and several Massachusetts sheriffs have come out for Secure Communities, saying it could help prevent crimes by illegal aliens.
A Warren statement cited complaints by some chiefs that foreign nationals who are living here illegally are too afraid to report crimes. Police chiefs in Boston, Chelsea and New Bedford expressed concerns.
“Elizabeth believes that the FBI and ICE should share information to ensure that we can get dangerous and violent offenders off our streets. She also understands that law enforcement officials ... believe that the current program is creating barriers between police and communities,” the statement said.
Elizabeth Warren: Secure Communities Act would create ‘barriers’ - BostonHerald.com
