'Secure Communities,' a program that began during the Bush administration, intends to check the immigration status of practically all individuals who are booked into local jails across the countries, increasing the percentage of deportations ten times more.By Eduardo Barraza
Phoenix, Arizona. May 19, 2009 (BARRIOZONA) A program that began during the administration of former President George W. Bush, and intended to check the immigration status of practically all individuals who are booked into local jails, is being expanded by President Barack Obama. The measure would represent a huge increase in the number of potential deportations of undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of crimes.
An increasing number of local authorities will match fingerprints of inmates under their custody against federal immigration agencies data, to detect those who lack legal status and to place them in deportation procedures prior to their release. While inmates from federal and state prisons are already subject to this procedure, federal immigration authorities don’t have the resources to screen inmates at local-level jails.
Inmates who are incarcerated in city or county jails –for instance– are processed more quickly than those in Federal and State detention facilities, which could mean that some individuals suspected of being in the country without the proper documentation may be released before they can face deportation.
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URL: www.barriozona.com/immigration_president_obama_to_expand_screening_in_local_jails.html
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