September 14, 2011

Lukes wants Worcester to have direct line to fingerprint database

By Nick Kotsopoulos TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
nkotsopoulos@telegram.com

WORCESTER — A city councilor wants the city to contact the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agency about voluntarily participating in the federal pilot program called Secure Communities.

Councilor-at-Large Konstantina B. Lukes proposed such a resolution last night because she wants the city to be able to send directly to ICE the fingerprints of those arrested in the city on a criminal charge.

Mrs. Lukes said she wants to avoid a situation that recently occurred in Milford when an alleged illegal immigrant with a criminal history was involved in a fatal accident.

Currently, the Police Department submits its fingerprint data to the state, which then forwards it to the FBI and ICE.

In comparison, Boston's Police Department has direct access to ICE's database of fingerprints because it opted into the Secure Communities program — the period for communities to opt into the program has since passed.

But the councilor's resolution has drawn flak from some of her colleagues who contend it is nothing more than a political ploy, especially since Police Chief Gary J. Gemme has indicated the city does not have the option of opting into the program now.

“It looks like an election year issue,â€