The Secure Community Program by the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the Department Homeland Security implements the Secure Communities program. This program has been created to quickly identify and deport illegal immigrants who commit serious crimes. To date, 44 States are participating in the program. Under the program fingerprints of anyone arrested by the police are checked against the data bases maintain by the FBI (which is a routine procedure) and the data base maintain by the Department of Homeland Security which holds information of all foreign-born personals living in the U.S.

Under the program, agents are instructed to accelerate deportation of illegals who commit a serious crime. The ICE expects to broaden the program to cover the entire nation by next year.

A recent review of the program by the Inspector General’s office credits the program for rapidly identifying the criminals with a very low cost to states. However, the ICE indicates that the program has led to confusion and resistance by some localities and opting to get out of the program. The Inspector General and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security are working together to clean up some missteps taken by each agency.