Thread: San Francisco: Supervisors say no to U.S. fingerprint check

Supervisors say no to U.S. fingerprint check
June 9, 2010

San Francisco supervisors went on record Tuesday opposing the federal government's ''Secure Communities'' program in which the digital fingerprints of suspects booked at county jail are automatically sent to U.S. immigration authorities for review.

Those found to be in the country illegally could face deportation.

The national program, which already has been operating in more than 20 states and several Bay Area counties, was activated in San Francisco Tuesday over the objections of Sheriff Michael Hennessey.

He prefers sticking with the city's previous policy in which U.S. immigration officials only were notified when the immigration status of suspected felons could not be immediately verified. Secure Communities takes away that discretion from local law enforcement agencies.

Now, all suspects, including those booked for infractions and misdemeanors, as well as more serious felonies, will be included in the immigration background check.

On a 9-2 vote and with the backing of civil rights organizations, the Board of Supervisors approved a nonbinding resolution urging San Francisco sheriff, Police Department and Juvenile Probation Department to not participate in the program.

It is unclear whether local authorities have the legal authority to opt out. Voting against the resolution were Supervisors Sean Elsbernd and Carmen Chu. Mayor Gavin Newsom and state Attorney General Jerry Brown also oppose the board resolution. Even if Newsom were to veto the legislation, it passed with a veto-proof majority.


www.sfgate.com

The Supervisors are reducing the likelihood of crime and increasing the insecurity in San Francisco in exchange for an assist to those of the naturalized immigrant community who brought in their relatives illegally or campaign donors who are exploiting illegals as employees.

Just out of curiosity I'd like to know what would happen to an American Citizen booked into a SF jail for a misdemeanor. I'm from NY and can easily prove it but what if I was also wanted for some criminal charge here, would the SFPD not run a check on me and just turn me loose after I pay a fine or something?

Jean, not wanting to use resources which would lead to the deportaton of illegals seems like complete nonsense, but it's actually worse than that. There's a housing project in San Francisco which for a number of years was run by HUD. The federal agency took it over because conditions had become so chaotic. HUD built an iron fence and guarded entryway.

Everyone is City government knows about this project, but the poorest Americans are ignored while illegals are catered to. I don't know how our supervisors rationalize this behavior in their own minds. It's common knowledge that when young men can't get jobs, they'll turn to petty crime and end up in jail. But the Board of Superivsors ignors this and caters to illegals.

You ask why our immigration laws are not eforced. I think that the problem is that elected officials know that the poorest Americans don't have anyplace else to go. Few of them vote and most of them will vote Democrat, no matter what, whereas illegals are undocumented Democrats. Get amnesty for them and the Demos can lock in control of legislatures, all the way to Washington, D.C.

IMO we need basic principals which can be used as universal rallying cries. I suggest Americans first in this magnificent country, American jobs for American workers, and Pat Buchanan's, Fair trade, not free trade.