News Update - November 15, 2008
By Alan Lee, Esq.†‡
New Cooperative Technology Allows State and Local Law Enforcement
Officials to Increase Ability to Identify Undocumented Immigrants
Upon Arrest
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of
Justice (DOJ) have upgraded their respective biometric systems so
that these systems can operate together in order for the two agencies
to share information. U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (USICE)
plans to use these systems at state and local law enforcement offices
throughout the U.S. to more efficiently and rapidly identify and
remove undocumented immigrants who commit criminal acts. Under the
current booking process at most detention centers, an individual’s
fingerprints are checked against the DOJ’s system only. The
new process will check the fingerprints against DHS’s system
at the same time. If the fingerprints match those of a non U.S.
citizen, USICE will automatically be notified so that officials
can evaluate the case and determine which steps should be taken.
Local law enforcement officials are not permitted to take action
against individuals found to be in violation of immigration law
unless they have been trained and authorized by DHS. Currently pilot
versions of this program are being conducted at seven sites throughout
the U.S.
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