Monday, September 26, 2011

Evangelidis pushes secure communities

By Craig S. Semon TELEGRAm & GAZETTE STAFF

While all states will be required to begin the Secure Communities program by 2013, some elected officials in Worcester and Worcester County think 2013 is two years too late and are pushing for the program — or, at least, the fundamental aspects of the federal information-sharing network — to be implemented in the here and now.

Under Secure Communities, the FBI automatically sends the fingerprints to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to check against its immigration databases. If these checks reveal that an individual is unlawfully present in the United States or otherwise removable due to a criminal conviction, ICE takes enforcement action – prioritizing the removal of individuals who present the most significant threats to public safety as determined by the severity of their crime, their criminal history, and other factors – as well as those who have repeatedly violated immigration laws.

Although the program is currently being used in Boston, Gov. Deval L. Patrick has said the state would not participate in the program, because it is not focused enough on deporting criminals only, and could hamper local law enforcement efforts.

Worcester County Sheriff Lewis G. Evangelidis, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, Jr. met with ICE representatives Thursday in Washington, D.C., to discuss how they can become a part of the Secure Communities program and implement any of the program’s tools in their respective counties.

“It has been reported but we got absolute confirmation that they are looking to roll out Secure Communities across the country in every state within the next two years,â€