By: Keith Walker | InsideNova
Published: October 24, 2012

MANASSAS, Va. --

The Manassas City Council passed a resolution Monday signaling displeasure with Im*migrations and Customs En*forcement.

Last week, ICE informed the city council, along with other local governments, that it was set to discontinue its 287(g) program.

Under section 287(g) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, local jurisdictions are al*lowed, after training, to enforce immigration laws by helping to arrest and eventually deport criminal illegal immigrants.

The city entered into an agreement with ICE in Octo*ber 2009, and city official have been pleased with the results of the agreement, according to the resolution.

The Department Homeland Security would be replacing the 287(g) program with the Secure Communities program, which the department’s website describes as a “simple and common sense way to carry out ICE’s priorities.”

Council’s resolution stated in part that Secure Communities is “not as robust in determining legal status and does not allow law enforcement to detain all those found to be illegal immigrants.”

Councilman Marc. T. Aveni said the program should remain in place.

“In spite of all the good efforts that have occurred through this program, we’re now being told that it will no longer be continued. It’s interesting that that happens right before election day. We’re also being told that ... Secure Communities is somehow going to do this work for us,” Aveni said.

Aveni asked Manassas police Chief DouglasW. Keen to confirm that Secure Communities was indeed less robust than the 287(g) program.

“Fundamentally, there is one major difference between the two programs. 287(g) allows local enforcement or corrections to take enforcement actions on behalf of ICE, which means that we can place the detainers on any illegal immigrant. Secure Communities does not do that,” Keen told the council.

Under Secure Communities, jail corrections officers have access ICE computers and history databases, Keen said.

“However ICE will make the decision on what detainers they will place on each illegal immigrant based upon criminal history or the severity of the crime,” Keen said.

Recent letters from ICE to several PrinceWilliam County officials stated that the agency was phasing out the 287(g) program because the program has “proven to be a less efficient means of identifying priority individuals subject to removal compared to other law enforcement programs.”

Keen said that he didn’t know of any complaints over his department’s enforcement of the program.

“We have been audited every year by ICE and passed with flying colors,” Keen said.

Councilman Ian T. Lovejoy joined the rest of the council in voting unanimously for the resolution.

“In the cold and barren landscape that is intergovernmental bureaucracy, there’s one bit of light and it was the 287(g) program. It had broad-based community support. It proved effective and so naturally the federal government shut it down. It is beyond me, I do not understand it. It’s definitely a despicable act on behalf of the higher-ups,” Lovejoy said.

In an interview last week with the News & Messenger, ICE spokeswoman Danielle Bennett said the decision to evaluate the 287(g) program was made within the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

Manassas backs 287g | InsideNova