Related Items
Related StoriesChatham County staying out of ICE enforcement program
Program snagging more illegal immigrants than expected
Deputies trained to target illegal immigrants
Site Search
Orange joins immigration enforcement program


Posted: Today at 2:49 p.m.
Updated: 12 minutes ago

Hillsborough, N.C. — Orange County has joined a federal program that helps local law enforcement identify illegal immigrants when they have been charged with crimes.

New Hanover and Duplin counties also have joined the Secure Communities program, often referred to as 287(g) for the section of federal law that created it.

Administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the program gives local law enforcement agencies access to federal immigration databases to help identify illegal immigrants who have been arrested and trains officers on how to initiate deportation proceedings.

“We are excited about having the technology to access the Department of Homeland Security’s and the Department of Justice’s information," Duplin County Sheriff Blake Wallace said in a statement. "This is another tool in our arsenal to make Duplin County an even safer place to live, work and raise a family.â€