Thread: Florida detention center caught in illegal immigration contr

Florida detention center caught in illegal immigration controversy

Source: (AHN) Reporter: Tom Ramstack
Location: Washington, D.C., United States Published: August 8, 2011 03:30 pm EDT

A plan to build a jail for illegal immigrants in southern Florida could fall into the crosshairs of a controversy over a new policy by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agency last Friday notified the nation’s governors that its Secure Communities program will be fully implemented by 2013, even if local lawmakers do not agree.
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The result is likely to be a new wave of arrests of illegal immigrants, all of whom would need a place to stay while they are in custody.

A site being considered about 30 miles north of Miami would house about 1,800 prisoners, making it one of the nation’s biggest detention centers for illegal immigrants. City officials in the rural town of Southwest Ranches already have committed to building the jail but some local residents are unconvinced it is a good idea.

"ICE is lying when it says it is targeting dangerous criminals through [Secure Communities]," Jonathan Fried, executive director of the Homestead, Fla.-based immigrant rights group WeCount, told All Headline News. "In Miami-Dade and Broward counties, over half the persons deported through S-Comm have had no criminal record at all, according to ICE's own statistics. The new detention center in Southwest Ranches will result in more deportations of contributing members of our community, more separation of families and more community mistrust of law enforcement."

Until last week, ICE sought the signatures of all the nation’s governors on a memorandum of agreement to participate in Secure Communities.

The program requires local law enforcement personnel to share fingerprints of arrestees with federal law enforcement agencies. Their goal is to track down more illegal immigrants for deportation.

About 40 governors signed ICE’s memorandum of agreement but others are resisting.

Democratic governors in New York and Illinois are concerned the program would deport people who came to the United States to work rather than being violent criminals. ICE officials wanted to avoid delays in Secure Communities from hold-out governors.

Last week, ICE Director John Morton wrote a letter to all the nation’s governors telling them their signatures on the agreements are not “legally necessary.â€

"In Miami-Dade and Broward counties, over half the persons deported through S-Comm have had no criminal record at all..."

Um, they either over stayed a visa, stole someone's identity or used fake documets. They are criminals. When will that sink into their heads???

"There are no non-criminal deportations! Period!"

I'll be sure to bring it to the attention of the police,that they shouldnt do anything to me,if i run a red light,because it is a non-violent offense!!!