Feds deport thousands of immigrants without criminal records, internal documents show

Internal government documents released today show that the Obama Administration is deporting thousands of immigrants who have no criminal record. That’s according to advocacy groups who sued the government to get information on the Secure Communities Program, launched in 2008.

The program processes finger print records through databases when people are arrested, even when charges are minor or the charges are dismissed. The information is gathered before conviction, when the individual is presumed innocent which immigrant right groups say raises issues over the true intent of the program. To date, nearly 80 percent of those deported under Secure Communites were not criminals or were picked up for lower level offenses.

Bridget Kessler is one of the attorneys who litigated the FOIA lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She outlined some of the findings of the data.

“Some of the most telling numbers come from places like Travis County, Texas where 82 percent of Secure Communities deportations are of non-criminals. In Miami Dade in Florida, 66 percent of Secure Communities deportations are of non-criminals, and finally, in Maricopa County Arizona, where we all know Sheriff Joe Arpaio works, is 54 percent of Secure Communities deportations are of non-criminals.”

The program - like Arizona’s SB1070 law - is another way of involving local law enforcement in federal immigration law. It operates in nearly 500 jurisdictions in 27 states.

Sheriff Michael Hennessy of San Francisco said his efforts to opt out of the program were blocked, both by ICE officials and California’s state attorney. Hennessy, who has 30 years of experience as sheriff, said the program could have negative impact on local policing.

“There’s a great concern that linking local law enforcement with ICE has a detrimental effect on law enforcement. That witnesses will not come forward and testify because they are afraid they’ll be turned over to ICE. That victims, particularly victims of domestic violence will not report the crime because they’re afraid they’ll be reported to ICE and be reported and it really has a chilling effect on the cooperation level between local law enforcement and minority communities and in San Francisco particularly the Hispanic community.”

Also today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the secure communities program will expand to all 25 counties along the southwest border. The department calls it part of a “smart, effective” border security program. The DHS said it plans to expand the program to every law enforcement jurisdiction in the country by 2013.