Senate Bill 9 advances despite immigration boss' memo
Backers, foes of program maintain their positions.
By Jason Buch
jbuch@express-news.net

Updated 12:34 a.m., Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A federal decision last week to give prosecutors more discretion when enforcing immigration law has done little to sway opponents and advocates of a controversial program slated for expansion in Texas.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Secure Communities checks the fingerprints of those arrested against an ICE database. It has been the target of criticism from some who say the program, designed to deport violent criminals, has led to the deportation of people convicted of minor crimes.

Three Northern states recently opted out of the program, triggering a response last week from the agency's director, who in a memo Friday said that ICE “must prioritize the use of its enforcement personnel, detention space, and removal assets to ensure that (those removed) represent, as much as reasonably possible, the agency's enforcement priorities, namely the promotion of national security, border security, public safety, and the integrity of the immigration system.â€