Secure Communities enacted in New York City

Over objections from Gov. Cuomo and city officials, the feds will begin using fingerprints from NYPD arrests next week to round up illegal immigrants, the Daily News has learned.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials told the NYPD and other local police departments in New York that the controversial Secure Communities program will be activated Tuesday across the state.

The program is already running — feeding fingerprint information from local police to Homeland Security through the FBI — in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Last June, Cuomo unsuccessfully tried to pull New York from the program, which the feds initially characterized as voluntary.

Homeland Security officials now say it is mandatory.

ICE calls Secure Communities their “single most valuable tool” to find and deport dangerous criminals.

Opponents, including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, say it sweeps up too many people charged with low-level offenses and makes immigrants afraid to report crimes or cooperate with cops.

“I am deeply troubled by and have always opposed the implementation of Secure Communities in New York City,” said Quinn.

When he tried to pull the state from the program, Cuomo said it was undermining law enforcement.

He still objects to it, spokesman Rich Azzopardi said.

“We are monitoring the situation,” said Azzopardi.

Immigrant advocates were taken aback to learn Secure Communities is set to launch in the city.

“We are completely taken by surprise,” said Jacki Esposito of the New York Immigration Coalition.

The agency would not publicly confirm its activation plans.

“It is ICE’s long standing practice to only confirm Secure Communities activations after this enhanced federal information sharing capability is deployed in a jurisdiction,” said an ICE spokesman.

Secure Communities, which is also being activated statewide in Massachusetts, Arkansas and Wyoming next week, is slated to be up and running nationwide by 2013


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...#ixzz1uZaTFVVq

When secure comm even makes a footprint in NYC, the ultimate sanctuary city, then you know that without the dream act, we are fucked, and then leaving becomes the only option.

Meh...this has been around most large cities for a while. Just don't get yourself arrested. Don't hang out with people who don't care if they get arrested.

Ahh okie, it's just NYC usually resist most federal enforcement programs but I guess when the federal and state government knock, the city must listen.

Oh this is no surprise. They have been talking about this since last year June. Secretary Napolitano said it when she was testifying at the Immigration Sub-Committee last year when she was being grilled by Sen. Grassley. So this doesn't phase me. Like IamAman said, "don't get arrested and don't hang with people who don't care if they get arrested." That's as commonsense as it gets. Plus, ICE said they are looking to "find and deport dangerous criminals". Notice I puts quotation marks around that?! But its nothing to worry about. No big deal. Exercise good judgement and make wise decision with your mind and conscience decisions with your heart and you will be ok.

What if after all this speculation, this and that, Rubio never actually produces a bill... How would everyone feel then?

Oy.... Let's stay positive and support one another no matter what happens.

DHS and the FBI are creating a national identity file which currently uses the information of all those already known to the various DHS components to test it. It is because obtaining this information from immigrants- legal and illegal, but mostly those who are illegal- faces less hurdles than violating the constitutional rights of Americans. But it's expected to be fully operational in about 5 years, and it will apply and contain information about every resident in the U.S. Therefore, when someone isn't in this National Identity File, they will be easily idenfied and processed for deportation. It's a federal version of REAL ID, but the feds are using immigrants for now as to not rile up Americans who oppose a National ID card.

Well, individuals won't have a "National ID" card; they will have a National ID File! When this information goes full, mainstream it will be too late for those who oppose it.

Solution: don't get arrested.