Thread: Localities Warned on Fingerprinting

Localities Warned on Fingerprinting
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 8, 2010

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Local governments cannot opt out of a federal program that checks the fingerprints of people who are arrested against a database to determine if they are illegal immigrants, the head of the immigration enforcement agency said Friday.

That is because the agreement is between the federal and state governments — not the local governments.

Officials in Arlington County, Va., Santa Clara County, Calif., and Washington, D.C., have voted to opt out of the Secure Communities program, saying participation could lead to racial profiling. San Francisco officials have tried to get out of the program, and several communities are debating whether they want to participate.

On Friday, John T. Morton, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency would meet with the localities, but in the end the agreement was with the state.

Suspects who are arrested for any offense from a traffic violation to a violent crime have long been fingerprinted, and those fingerprints are run through a federal criminal-background database maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. With Secure Communities, those fingerprints are automatically checked against immigration records to identify those who might be in the country illegally.

Since 2008, the program has been expanded to more than 650 jurisdictions in 32 states, with plans to incorporate every jurisdiction by 2013.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/09/us/09prints.html

Some of these local governments are so bent on their sanctuary city policies that I fear they will stop arresting illegals to prevent their prints from going to the fbi.

Any city that opt's out can have all these poor hard working people for they're very own. We just got the system installed. For the past month or so they havn't been picking up illegals here, last night they picked up 8 of them now lets see if the deportation buses start running again I don't know if you guys have ever seen these buses, they're actually quite beautiful to the eye as well as to the soul. I'll try to get a picture if they ever come back."Another one rides the Bus"

Officials in Arlington County, Va., Santa Clara County, Calif., and Washington, D.C., have voted to opt out of the Secure Communities program, saying participation could lead to racial profiling.

How do you "racialy profile" a fingerprint?

Originally Posted by disgustedamerican

Officials in Arlington County, Va., Santa Clara County, Calif., and Washington, D.C., have voted to opt out of the Secure Communities program, saying participation could lead to racial profiling.

How do you "racialy profile" a fingerprint?

Exactly what I was thinking when I read it. As long as the officers do it to EVERYONE, it's not racial. If the majority that come back illegal aliens are of a particular race, that's on them. It's like going into a "purple getto" and being told you can't check anyone because you're discriminating against "purple people".

I would expand this further for things like dead-beat-parents, wanted criminals, etc.. Think of how many non-illegal alien criminals we'd catch.

HELLLOOOO!!!! I was finger printed for a parking ticket when arrested years ago ( forgot to pay it )

They want to stop anything that catches an illegal alien! Tough Crap!

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

HELLLOOOO!!!! I was finger printed for a parking ticket when arrested years ago ( forgot to pay it )

They want to stop anything that catches an illegal alien! Tough Crap!

When I was a teen, I gave a full set of prints when I got my drivers license. I've been "on file" a long time.

Dixie

Originally Posted by Dixie

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

HELLLOOOO!!!! I was finger printed for a parking ticket when arrested years ago ( forgot to pay it )

They want to stop anything that catches an illegal alien! Tough Crap!

When I was a teen, I gave a full set of prints when I got my drivers license. I've been "on file" a long time.

Dixie

Guess if it is good enough for American citizens it is good enough for anyone who enters this country, legal or illegal!

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

Originally Posted by Dixie

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

HELLLOOOO!!!! I was finger printed for a parking ticket when arrested years ago ( forgot to pay it )

They want to stop anything that catches an illegal alien! Tough Crap!

When I was a teen, I gave a full set of prints when I got my drivers license. I've been "on file" a long time.

Dixie

Guess if it is good enough for American citizens it is good enough for anyone who enters this country, legal or illegal!

Anyone who has a problem with giving their fingerprints to law enforcement or to the DMV...has something to hide. I think it should be required to get a license. After all, if you get into an accident the victim deserves to know who you are.

Good point redpony!