Thread: MA: Immigration program tops concerns in Framingham

Immigration program tops concerns in Framingham

By Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff

MetroWest Daily News

Posted Jul 12, 2011 @ 12:20 AM

FRAMINGHAM —

Lt. Gov. Tim Murray last night defended his boss's refusal to join the federal Secure Communities program and heard the public's pleas about health insurance costs and troublesome MetroWest railroad crossings.

Area residents and businesspeople peppered Murray with questions during the administration's "summer conversations" tour stop at the Memorial Building.

Holliston resident Peri Lamb wants to know why Gov. Deval Patrick failed to sign the state up for Secure Communities, a federal program that targets violent criminals who are in the country illegally.

"This is a no-brainer and I think everybody would feel more secure if it were passed," Lamb told Murray.

Under that federal program, the fingerprints of people who are arrested locally are shared with immigration authorities.

Immigrants here illegally who had been charged or convicted in violent and other serious crimes would be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation.

Lamb said she fears the notorious El Salvadorian gang MS-13's presence in Framingham, where she sends her daughter to MassBay Community College. "I'm nervous, as a mother," she said.

Murray said the ICE itself has "said there have been problems with the program" that need to be worked out.

He questioned the value of grabbing an illegal immigrant who doesn't have a record of violent crimes being pulled over on a traffic violation, flagged by a database, held and deported.

"Is that the role of local government?" Murray asked. "We obviously should be going after the criminal violent offenders right away. Right away."

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He questioned the value of grabbing an illegal immigrant who doesn't have a record of violent crimes being pulled over on a traffic violation, flagged by a database, held and deported.

You don't understand the value of that, Murray? The value of that is the illegal aliens is deported, off our streets, out of our businesses, no longer holding jobs, no longer sucking down welfare, health care or prison time.

The whole point of any US immigration law program is to get the illegal aliens out of the country and monitor the legal immigrants we admit.