ICE Announces Reforms to “Secure Communities” Program, Prior to Investigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), under DHS and President Obama, has certainly been feeling the heat on their so-called “Secure Communities" program. Amidst growing controversy, Illinois and New York ended their participation. Massachusetts decided not to join. Los Angeles and Oakland passed resolutions against joining. California is pushing an act that would allow the state to opt-out.

Meanwhile, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus have both called for a moratorium on the program’s expansion, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has called it “a waste of taxpayer money.” Sheriffs from coast to coast have voiced concerns about how S-Comm degrades community policing efforts.  In addition to the thousands of Change.org members who signed local petitions that led to victories against S-Comm in New York and Montgomery County, Maryland, more than 4,800 Change.org members have already called on ICE to suspend the program until the federally mandated investigation begins in August.

All of this momentum likely contributed to ICE’s announcement earlier today that it will be instituting a series of reforms of the S-Comm program (short-circuiting the federal investigation). Under the program, police are forced to send the fingerprints of anyone who is booked in a police station, regardless of whether they are charged with a crime, through an immigration database. This can then trigger immediate deportation proceedings.

S-Comm’s many detractors have argued that the program leads mostly to the deportations of non-criminal immigrants, including long-time residents and victims of crime, and that it sets the stage for civil rights violations and Arizona-style racial profiling. In response, ICE indicated today that it plans to address these concerns by setting up training programs and allowing more discretion by ICE and prosecutors. Critics of the program argue that the changes do not go far enough. Some are calling the changes "merely cosmetic" and continue to push for a full moratorium until the federal investigation is complete.

"We are stunned by the inadequacy of this announcement.  Reform before review not only puts the cart before the horse, it continues to take the country in the wrong direction,” said Pablo Alvarado, Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. “Given the inherent problems in the program and the continued secrecy surrounding its implementation, a moratorium of the program pending its review by the Inspector General is the only reasonable approach.”

"The department is ignoring the will of three Democratic governors, two state legislative chambers, and at least three counties who want to remove themselves from the program or allow communities a free choice whether to participate," said the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights in a press statement.

While crucial questions remain, today we should celebrate the fact that ICE felt enough pressure to begin the process of reform. This is clearly due to the incredible organizing happening around the country on S-Comm. Thanks to all who signed petitions, organized vigils, and made untold calls to elected officials, urging them to stop it. Now we must keep the pressure on until the program is fixed -- or scrapped altogether.

Together we can send a strong message to ICE that if they truly care about addressing the concerns of human rights advocates, police chiefs, and state and local governments around the country, they must do better. These reforms are only the tip of the iceberg. Tell ICE that an immediate moratorium until “Secure Communities” can be federally investigated is the only responsible thing to do.

Photo Credit: 710928003 on Flickr.