Local Jurisdictions Can’t Opt out of Fed’s Immigration Enforcement Program
(Washington Post) — The Obama administration is making it virtually impossible for Arlington County, the District and other jurisdictions to refuse to participate in a controversialimmigration enforcement program that uses fingerprints gathered by local law enforcement agencies to identify illegal immigrants.
Participation in the program, called Secure Communities, was widely believed to be voluntary – a perception reinforced by a Sept 7 letter sent to Congress by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. This week, Arlington joined the District, San Francisco and Santa Clara County, Calif., invoting to opt out of the program.
