Boston to stop sharing criminal prints with ICE

[chiver78]

a big to Mayor Menino here.

Mayor may pull Boston from immigration check plan
WHDH-TV

BOSTON -- Mayor Thomas Menino says he plans to withdraw Boston from a federal program that requires police to run criminal suspects' fingerprints through an immigration database to check whether they are in the U.S. legally unless the program is limited to only those accused of serious crimes.

In a letter to be delivered Monday to the Department of Homeland Security's Secure Communities task force, Menino said the program has caused a breakdown of relations between residents and police in immigrant communities.

The cross-referencing means people picked up for relatively minor crimes can face deportation.

The Boston Globe reports that in his letter, Menino called on the Secure Communities task force to demonstrate more transparency in how it decides whose fingerprints are shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

[Deleted]

Can't you see his point though? How can you get people to cooperate with you in an investigation if you must send their fingerprints into the database... Police often cut deals with small fish in order to catch the bigger ones... I could see how this could potentially impede that process....

Not sure what the answer is... ?

[chiver78]

I understand that it is necessary to investigate crimes against illegals, that their immigration status shouldn't make them sitting ducks to become victims, so to speak, but perhaps they would start going back where they came from if they felt it was a hostile living environment.

don't get me wrong, I am all for immigrants coming here to make better lives for themselves. it enriches us in the process too. but do it legally. and - if you do it legally, you don't have to worry about having your prints run through ICE should you get arrested for something - you're here legally.

[privateinvestor]

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based think tank that favors stricter controls on immigration, said the mayor’s opposition to the program is akin to the establishment of so-called sanctuary cities where local authorities attempt to protect illegal immigrants from federal law enforcement.
“The fact is it’s not just a useful program, it’s almost a minimal prerequisite for a serious immigration control system,’’ Krikorian said. “If illegal immigrants are not identified when they are picked up by local authorities, how will federal law enforcement ever find them?’’


Krikorian said those opposed to Secure Communities are trying to make immigration status a secondary offense that a person cannot be initially cited for, like seat-belt laws in many states.


Part of the problem, he said, is the Obama administration has been ambivalent and inconsistent on immigration enforcement. “They talk up Secure Communities, but they don’t like it. They look at it like my 11-year-old looks at broccoli. They’ll eat just enough to get dessert.’’


Maria Sacchetti of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Martine Powers can be reached at [e-mail]; Stewart Bishop at [e-mail].

© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.


www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/07/11/menino_threatens_to_quit_plan_targeting_crime_by_immigrants/?page=2

[privateinvestor]

so-called sanctuary cities where local authorities attempt to protect illegal immigrants from federal law enforcement.

Oh thanx to a liberal mayor in Ole Beantown you now have another so called sanctuary city much the same as San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, but now watch the crime rate increase in my old hometown...
P.I.(Boston Irishman Club Member)

[swamp]

Oped has a point with the federal requirement hindering the ability to investigate crimes because the fingerprint requirement will make lots of people refuse to come forward. I don't think the Police Chief's motivation is to provide sanctuary, it's to make his job easier.

It's a thorny issue, I see how this policy will hinder police investigations, but also provide sanctuary to illegals. This is one of those issues that doesn't have any easy answer.

[Wizard of Id]

Jul 11, 2011 8:02:41 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I understand that it is necessary to investigate crimes against illegals, that their immigration status shouldn't make them sitting ducks to become victims, so to speak, but perhaps they would start going back where they came from if they felt it was a hostile living environment.

don't get me wrong, I am all for immigrants coming here to make better lives for themselves. it enriches us in the process too. but do it legally. and - if you do it legally, you don't have to worry about having your prints run through ICE should you get arrested for something - you're here legally.

[privateinvestor]

Jul 11, 2011 8:32:39 GMT -5 Wizard of Id said:

Jul 11, 2011 8:02:41 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I understand that it is necessary to investigate crimes against illegals, that their immigration status shouldn't make them sitting ducks to become victims, so to speak, but perhaps they would start going back where they came from if they felt it was a hostile living environment.

don't get me wrong, I am all for immigrants coming here to make better lives for themselves. it enriches us in the process too. but do it legally. and - if you do it legally, you don't have to worry about having your prints run through ICE should you get arrested for something - you're here legally.

Part of the problem, he said, is the Obama administration has been ambivalent and inconsistent on immigration enforcement. “They talk up Secure Communities, but they don’t like it. They look at it like my 11-year-old looks at broccoli. They’ll eat just enough to get dessert

[privateinvestor]

Laura Rotolo, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said, while she had not seen the mayor’s letter, she applauded his assessment of the Secure Communities program.


“This program has been shown time and time again to dangerous, not just for immigrants but for public safety in general,’’ Rotolo said. “It drives immigrants further underground, it makes them afraid to talk to police or be witnesses.’’


Steve Kropper, co-chairman of Massachusetts Citizens for Immigration Reform, said the Secure Communities Program has been successful in tackling the problem of illegal immigration.


“In the last few years we’ve made substantial strides in stemming the tide of illegal immigration,’’ Kropper said. “Now is not the time to back off.’’


Kropper said the fact that low-level offenders were being affected by the program was an indication of its success.


“The opportunity when there is a minor offense to check the immigration status of someone is a very efficient way to solve the problem of illegal immigration,’’ Kropper said.

www.boston.com/news/local/massach....igrants/?page=2

[privateinvestor]

This program has been shown time and time again to dangerous, not just for immigrants but for public safety in general,’’ Rotolo said. “It drives immigrants further underground, it makes them afraid to talk to police or be witnesses.’’


That is what the ACLU wants that we don't treat "illegals" like criminals but rather treat them as equal under our laws even though they broke our immigration laws by being here illegally ...but hey don't let that interfere I guess after all the ACLU rocks, I guess among the Liberals..

Somehow the Chief of Police in old Beantown ought to man up and let the Bostonians know what he thinks about Boston becoming another so called Sanctuary City...IMHO

[fairlycrazy23]

They are already underground if they are illegal. Besides, how will we know if they need access to there consulate?

[privateinvestor]

The ACLU in Boston MA is breaking out the Champagne bottles to celebrate another win for Illegal Immigrants..

[txbo]

Just days after part of Georgia’s immigration law, HB 87, went into effect, farmers in the Peach State are panicking over how they will find enough workers to harvest their crops—some of which are already spoiling.

Few American citizens, legal workers or even convicted criminals are willing to step in to do the work

According to the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association, nearly $300 million worth of crops are at risk if the state’s 11,000 empty agricultural jobs continue to go unfilled.

If something doesn’t happen soon, Georgia’s crops could suffer even more than they already have. Some fields of less valuable crops were abandoned in the southern region of the state because there wasn’t enough labor to harvest it, leading to concern about the economics of supply and demand.

I saw an interview with one grower who said he is paying $12 per hour and can’t get the labor needed. They interviewed one person (Anglo) who said the work is hot and painful and that he could only work a few hours in the mornings.

South Carolina is enforcing the same law as Georgia but is now considering changes after witnessing Georgia’s problems. They want the farm workers (illegal’s) to be exempt. I love it, so they are already thinking about circumventing their own laws.

[floridayankee]

Jul 11, 2011 12:27:17 GMT -5 txbo said:

Just days after part of Georgia’s immigration law, HB 87, went into effect, farmers in the Peach State are panicking over how they will find enough workers to harvest their crops—some of which are already spoiling.

Few American citizens, legal workers or even convicted criminals are willing to step in to do the work

According to the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association, nearly $300 million worth of crops are at risk if the state’s 11,000 empty agricultural jobs continue to go unfilled.

If something doesn’t happen soon, Georgia’s crops could suffer even more than they already have. Some fields of less valuable crops were abandoned in the southern region of the state because there wasn’t enough labor to harvest it, leading to concern about the economics of supply and demand.

I saw an interview with one grower who said he is paying $12 per hour and can’t get the labor needed. They interviewed one person (Anglo) who said the work is hot and painful and that he could only work a few hours in the mornings.

South Carolina is enforcing the same law as Georgia but is now considering changes after witnessing Georgia’s problems. They want the farm workers (illegal’s) to be exempt. I love it, so they are already thinking about circumventing their own laws.

I read that. Perhaps if there wasn't 99 weeks of unemployment, they could get more workers. I'm sure it'll take more than $12/hr to lure American workers off the couch.

Sure is a shame that Georgia was forced to put their farmers at a competitive disadvantage because the federal government refuses to enforce the law.