Thread: N.Y.:More Protests Planned Against 'Secure Communities'

More Protests Planned Against 'Secure Communities'

Saturday, October 23, 2010
By Kathleen Horan

Immigration advocates and local elected officials are keeping the pressure on Governor Paterson to withdraw New York from participating in 'Secure Communities,' a national program that would allow police to share fingerprint information with federal authorities.

Manhattan City Council member Ydanis Rodriguez, who represents upper Manhattan, said Secure Communities would force immigrants to live in fear, worrying that at any moment the could be detained and deported.

According to Rodriquez, "If the law gets into effect, anyone who gets fingerprinted -- immediately that information will be sent to the immigration."

Rodriguez and other opponents of the program will be protesting at noon Sunday on the steps of City Hall.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the program was developed to identify undocumented immigrants who have committed serious crimes like murder, sexual assault and crimes that threaten national security. But immigrant advocates say in other states, the majority of those deported under Secure Communities were arrested for minor offenses or were not charged with any crime.

http://oneoldvet.com/

www.wnyc.org

Upper Manhattan Officials Say Federal Fingerprint Sharing Program Sets Stage for Racial Profiling
October 25, 2010 9:56pm

Officials called for the reversal of an agreement that has police sharing fingerprints with U.S. immigration officials.


By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Northern Manhattan elected officials gathered at City Hall on Sunday to protest "Secure Communities," a federal program that allows police departments to share the fingerprints of people in their custody with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The federal department then uses the data to check on the immigration status of those arrested and can begin deportation proceedings if they are found to be in the country without documentation.

Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez called on Gov. David Paterson to end New York State’s participation in the program, which began in May 2010.

"Secure Communities would make it no longer a possibility, but a guarantee that if you are picked up by the police, ICE will have your information and will be ready to detain you," Rodriguez said in a public statement.

Rodriguez said such a program not only jeopardizes the privacy of U.S. residents, but also puts an unfair financial burden on local municipalities.

"Why are we sacrificing money for our schools, transportation, and other programs to deport our neighbors and family and friends?" he asked.

Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat joined in asking Paterson to revoke the agreement between the state and federal government.

"The lack of due process sets the stage for racial profiling without any real consequences for abusive actions," he said in a public statement.

A spokesman for ICE said the department does not comment on protests and request for comment from the governor's office was not immediately returned.

www.dnainfo.com

Now this is just too funny. With IAs from all over the world residing in NYC the only way this could be deemed racist would be it discriminates against those belonging to THE HUMAN RACE!

Upper Manhattan Officials Say Federal Fingerprint Sharing Program Sets Stage for Racial Profiling

Wow, now they can tell a person's race just by looking at their fingerprints.

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