A federal program that conducts an immigration status check on people booked into local jails is coming to Coloradoregardless of whether Gov. Bill Ritter signs up for it or not.
Secure Communities has been controversial with some because they believe it will encourage racial profiling. Ritter has delayed a decision on whether to opt in to the program, saying he wanted to get broader community input about it.
But as we discussed the program with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and her staff at an editorial board meeting Thursday, it was clear to us that by 2013, the program will be in place in Colorado regardless since there is no practical way out.
After a close examination of the program, we don’t believe it would encourage authorities to target Latinos for arrest, and have urged Ritter to sign up for it. Secure Communities is now being gradually rolled out among the states.
The system scans everyone who is arrested and fingerprinted to check their immigration status. It doesn’t matter if you have a Latino name or one that sounds eastern European.
That’s because those local law enforcement agencies that don’t share the fingerprints they collect from arrestees will be cut off from federal databases.
The way the system works is that fingerprints collected at local jails and sent to the FBI for criminal background checks then will be sent by the FBI to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a check on immigration status.
The only way locals have any say in the matter is if they refuse to access the FBI database to check a suspect’s history — a wholly impractical and foolish tack.
So, the governor’s delay in contemplating the program only means Colorado is further back in line for implementation.
The only reason the whole country doesn’t have the program yet is because the feds are taking on states slowly, as they do the technological work necessary to make data systems work together.
Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have been removed from the country via the two-year-old program. The program is set up to prioritize deportations by severity of criminal offense.
Those illegal immigrants with serious criminal backgrounds go to the top of the list, and those with minor offenses or no criminal background are the least likely to face removal.
Several Colorado counties have signaled their interest in joining Secure Communities, including Denver, Arapahoe and El Paso.
Napolitano told us she believes that in years to come, local law enforcement agencies will credit the program with drops in crime and safer neighborhoods.
We agree with that prediction, and hope Gov. Ritter delays no longer in signing on for Secure Communities. Both Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and former Congressman Tom Tancredo, the two leading candidates for governor, say they will join the program if Ritter doesn’t.
The federal government is taking a big step toward removing the most dangerous illegal immigrants from the country. Colorado should embrace the effort.
