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Undocumented immigrants arrested and convicted in Wisconsin are now subject for ICE removal
By H. Nelson Goodson
January 12, 2011
Washington, D.C. - On Tuesday, under Governor Scott Walker (R) all 72 Wisconsin County Sheriff's jurisdictions began to use illegal alien identfying biometric fingerprinting system. In a press release, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it began using a federal information-sharing capability in all Wisconsin counties that helps federal immigration officials use biometrics to identify aliens, both lawfully and unlawfully present in the United States, who are booked into local law enforcement's custody for a crime. This capability is part of Secure Communities ICE's comprehensive strategy to improve and modernize the identification and removal of aliens convicted of a crime from the United States.
Previously, biometrics - fingerprints - taken of individuals charged with a crime and booked into custody were checked for criminal history information against the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). Now, through enhanced information sharing between DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), biometrics submitted through the state to the FBI will be automatically checked against both the FBI criminal history records in IAFIS and the biometrics-based immigration records in DHS's Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).
If fingerprints match those of someone in DHS' biometric system, the new automated process notifies ICE. ICE evaluates each case to determine the individual's immigration status and takes appropriate enforcement action. This includes aliens who are in lawful status and those who are present without lawful authority. Once identified through fingerprint matching, ICE will respond with a priority placed on aliens convicted of the most serious crimes first - such as those with convictions for major drug offenses, murder, rape and kidnapping, according to ICE's press release.
However, immigrant rights groups and activists througout the country have raised allegations that the Secure Communities initiative has enhance racial profiling by law enforcement agencies and non-criminal undocumented immigrants have been identified and deported under this program. An estimated 50,000 non-criminal detainees processed through the program have been deported, according to immigration rights groups.
Also recent reports that special immigration courts and over 300 private and undisclosed illegal alien processing centers have been operating in the country.
On Wednesday, Voces de la Frontera in Wisconsin condemn the Secure Communities program in the state. A Voces press release indicates that as of December 2010, ICE reported that over 25% (13,054 of 50,972) of all deportations nationwide were of non-criminal immigrants despite assurances by the Obama administration to focus ICE's efforts on criminals.
"Voces de la Frontera strongly condemns Wisconsin's participation in a program that actually makes communities less safe. The justification is that these partnerships will result in "smart" enforcement which prioritizes individuals who are a danger to the community. However, the reality is this casts too wide of a net, abusing due process rights so that someone who is innocent of a charge will still end up in deportation proceedings," says Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera.
"Wisconsin should follow the lead of other states such as New York and Colorado, which have revised a memorandum of agreement to ensure that smart enforcement is a reality," according to Neumann-Ortiz.
In addition to immigration enforcement, last week the Wisconsin State legistature in both Houses became Republican controlled, including the Governor's Office. Several state representatives are planning to introduce a similar Arizona immigration enforcement law (Wisconsin Immigration Enforcement Law) in the session beginning this year. The bill, a similar Arizona SB 1070 law is expected to be introduced by Wisconsin State Representative Donald Pridemore (R-Hartford).
Pridemore's Wisconsin version of SB 1070 will allow local law enforcement officers to detain suspects for 48 hours when they come into contact with them in minor or serious infractions of the law, if officers suspect they are in Wisconsin and in the country illegally. If illegal, then undocumented immigrants will be turned in to ICE. Governor Walker has vowed to sign a similar Arizona immigration enforcement law, if passed by the state legislature.
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Undocumented immigrants arrested and convicted in Wisconsin are now subject for ICE removal
By H. Nelson Goodson
January 12, 2011
Washington, D.C. - On Tuesday, under Governor Scott Walker (R) all 72 Wisconsin County Sheriff's jurisdictions began to use illegal alien identfying biometric fingerprinting system. In a press release, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it began using a federal information-sharing capability in all Wisconsin counties that helps federal immigration officials use biometrics to identify aliens, both lawfully and unlawfully present in the United States, who are booked into local law enforcement's custody for a crime. This capability is part of Secure Communities ICE's comprehensive strategy to improve and modernize the identification and removal of aliens convicted of a crime from the United States.
Previously, biometrics - fingerprints - taken of individuals charged with a crime and booked into custody were checked for criminal history information against the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). Now, through enhanced information sharing between DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), biometrics submitted through the state to the FBI will be automatically checked against both the FBI criminal history records in IAFIS and the biometrics-based immigration records in DHS's Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).
If fingerprints match those of someone in DHS' biometric system, the new automated process notifies ICE. ICE evaluates each case to determine the individual's immigration status and takes appropriate enforcement action. This includes aliens who are in lawful status and those who are present without lawful authority. Once identified through fingerprint matching, ICE will respond with a priority placed on aliens convicted of the most serious crimes first - such as those with convictions for major drug offenses, murder, rape and kidnapping, according to ICE's press release.
However, immigrant rights groups and activists througout the country have raised allegations that the Secure Communities initiative has enhance racial profiling by law enforcement agencies and non-criminal undocumented immigrants have been identified and deported under this program. An estimated 50,000 non-criminal detainees processed through the program have been deported, according to immigration rights groups.
Also recent reports that special immigration courts and over 300 private and undisclosed illegal alien processing centers have been operating in the country.
On Wednesday, Voces de la Frontera in Wisconsin condemn the Secure Communities program in the state. A Voces press release indicates that as of December 2010, ICE reported that over 25% (13,054 of 50,972) of all deportations nationwide were of non-criminal immigrants despite assurances by the Obama administration to focus ICE's efforts on criminals.
"Voces de la Frontera strongly condemns Wisconsin's participation in a program that actually makes communities less safe. The justification is that these partnerships will result in "smart" enforcement which prioritizes individuals who are a danger to the community. However, the reality is this casts too wide of a net, abusing due process rights so that someone who is innocent of a charge will still end up in deportation proceedings," says Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera.
"Wisconsin should follow the lead of other states such as New York and Colorado, which have revised a memorandum of agreement to ensure that smart enforcement is a reality," according to Neumann-Ortiz.
In addition to immigration enforcement, last week the Wisconsin State legistature in both Houses became Republican controlled, including the Governor's Office. Several state representatives are planning to introduce a similar Arizona immigration enforcement law (Wisconsin Immigration Enforcement Law) in the session beginning this year. The bill, a similar Arizona SB 1070 law is expected to be introduced by Wisconsin State Representative Donald Pridemore (R-Hartford).
Pridemore's Wisconsin version of SB 1070 will allow local law enforcement officers to detain suspects for 48 hours when they come into contact with them in minor or serious infractions of the law, if officers suspect they are in Wisconsin and in the country illegally. If illegal, then undocumented immigrants will be turned in to ICE. Governor Walker has vowed to sign a similar Arizona immigration enforcement law, if passed by the state legislature.
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