New federal database is helping to identify migrant felons
WASHINGTON - A federal database designed to identify non-citizens has helped authorities remove 31,000 convicted criminals from the United States in less than two years and is being aggressively expanded throughout Arizona and the nation by President Barack Obama’s administration.
The Secure Communities database already is in use at jails in seven Arizona counties: Cochise, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai and Yuma.
Local police agencies say the database uses fingerprint matches to help them determine who they have in custody. The database, which contains information gathered by the Homeland Security Department, can tell police whether a person under arrest has been deported from the United States before. It also can help them determine whether a person is wanted for serious crimes in another country.
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Rocha said ICE is not forcing police agencies to participate in the program, which he said targets the most dangerous criminals rather than those convicted of petty offenses.
“We’re going to continue working with (the agencies) to explain the program to them, but we won’t force them to turn on the system if they’re not comfortable,” Rocha said.
He said the database may help prevent racial profiling because every person arrested, regardless of skin color or nationality, has his fingerprints run through the system. Police agencies that don’t have access to the database decide whether to call ICE to check a person’s immigration status.
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Read the whole thing, especially if you’re fond of saying the Feds are doing NOTHING about illegal immigration.