House approves immigration measure

By ANDY BROWNFIELD
McCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Posted May 06, 2011 @ 04:57 PM

In a measure touted as helping to keep families together, the Illinois House voted on Friday to allow counties to opt out of a program that deports illegal immigrants for petty crimes.

The Secure Communities program, created at the federal level in 2007 and brought to Illinois in 2009, allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in conjunction with the Illinois State Police, to deport illegal immigrants picked up for criminal activity.

House Bill 929, sponsored by Rep. Dan Burke, D-Chicago, would allow counties to opt out of the program.

“What was occurring is that these departments were apprehending women, families were being split up, as a result mothers were being separated from their children – all for a minor traffic violation,â€