Residents of Travis County can thank Sheriff Greg Hamilton for allowing himself to be bamboozled into allowing ICE into the jail 24/7 under the guise of the secure communities program. despite authoritative proof that the program is a failure, that Travis County now has a higher deportation case rate then Arizona, that the program has COST taxpayers $1.3 million and has a disproportionate impact on female victims of domestic violence, the Sheriff says he needs to study the reports. I thought I would give him an executive summary below that is in easy to read English.
Obstacles to community policing. Unlike the 287(g) program, Secure Communities does not require an MOA between ICE and the local jail, sheriff, or police department. Nonetheless, there are still concerns about local police being seen as immigration agents. If ICE maintains a presence—even a technological presence—in a local jail, the public will likely associate the local law-enforcement agency with immigration enforcement.
Unnecessary or Prolonged Detention. The existence of a Secure Community detainer may limit an individual’s ability to access a lawyer, fight criminal charges, or get out of jail on bail.
Profiling and pretextual arrests. While Secure Communities is a technological identification program through which all persons arrested are fingerprinted and checked against the various databases, there is a concern that police officers working in areas that have Secure Communities in their local jails may have an incentive, or at least the ability, to make arrests based on race or ethnicity, or to make pretextual arrests of persons they suspect to be in violation of immigration laws, in order to have them run through immigration databases once they are jailed.
Lack of complaint mechanisms. Given the wide range of concerns about Secure Communities, it is essential that there be a complaint or redress procedure for individuals who believe they have been erroneously identified by DHS databases or who believe a DHS detainer has been issued in error. Currently there is no clear complaint procedure for persons who believe they have been victims of an error.
Lack of Oversight and Transparency. Various reports have found that ICE has an uneven track record in terms of supervising its local partnerships. As with other programs, there are concerns about the level of oversight and transparency associated with Secure Communities.
Lack of Data. Much more data about Secure Communities and the individuals it identifies is necessary. Without accurate data, it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine how Secure Communities is being implemented or how effective it is.
