By Boston Herald (MA) - 5/20/2014
Tough-talking Bay State lawmen are slamming a possible move by the Obama administration they say would "water down" a controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants, and they're accusing the White House of trying to score political points during an election year.
"This program would absolutely be efficient if the Obama administration hadn't been trying to find ways to break it down," said Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, a Republican who's backed the use of the so-called Secure Communities program.
Secure Communities allows the Department of Homeland Security to match fingerprints of suspects charged with local or state crimes with their immigration database, detain them if they're in the country illegally and potentially deport them.
"This president has continued to find ways to water down the rules and laws," Hodgson said. "If you're not a citizen of our country, you've already broken the law. And if you got arrested, there was probable cause that you did something wrong. That's the slippery slope and the danger we're facing when people start tinkering with things to stop being consistent with the law."
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, speaking Thursday on PBS' "NewsHour," said that Secure Communities needs a "fresh start," and suggested the program's focus could be shifted to people actually convicted of crimes, rather than those arrested or charged.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have said their top priority is suspects who pose the "most significant threats to public safety," but critics have said they often sweep up nonviolent offenders or those with minor infractions.
Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald said the program is "absolutely working as intended," and speculated with mid-term elections looming, the Obama administration is trying to change what "may be politically unpopular."
"All of a sudden, because the advocates have been shouting that there are other people getting swept up into this, (the Obama administration has) bought into the argument that they have fought against for so long," said McDonald, a Republican.
Johnson started the brouhaha during the news program, saying, "In my judgment, Secure Communities should be an efficient way to work with state and local law enforcement to reach the removal priorities that we have, those who are convicted of something. The program has become very controversial. And I told a group of sheriffs and chiefs that I met with a couple days ago that I thought we needed a fresh start."
However, Hodgson said releasing an offender with an immigration violation is the same as allowing charged suspects to walk free even though there's an out-of-state warrant for their arrest.
"Either it's going to apply for all," he said, "or none."
"This program would absolutely be efficient if the Obama administration hadn't been trying to find ways to break it down," said Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, a Republican who's backed the use of the so-called Secure Communities program.
Secure Communities allows the Department of Homeland Security to match fingerprints of suspects charged with local or state crimes with their immigration database, detain them if they're in the country illegally and potentially deport them.
"This president has continued to find ways to water down the rules and laws," Hodgson said. "If you're not a citizen of our country, you've already broken the law. And if you got arrested, there was probable cause that you did something wrong. That's the slippery slope and the danger we're facing when people start tinkering with things to stop being consistent with the law."
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, speaking Thursday on PBS' "NewsHour," said that Secure Communities needs a "fresh start," and suggested the program's focus could be shifted to people actually convicted of crimes, rather than those arrested or charged.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have said their top priority is suspects who pose the "most significant threats to public safety," but critics have said they often sweep up nonviolent offenders or those with minor infractions.
Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald said the program is "absolutely working as intended," and speculated with mid-term elections looming, the Obama administration is trying to change what "may be politically unpopular."
"All of a sudden, because the advocates have been shouting that there are other people getting swept up into this, (the Obama administration has) bought into the argument that they have fought against for so long," said McDonald, a Republican.
Johnson started the brouhaha during the news program, saying, "In my judgment, Secure Communities should be an efficient way to work with state and local law enforcement to reach the removal priorities that we have, those who are convicted of something. The program has become very controversial. And I told a group of sheriffs and chiefs that I met with a couple days ago that I thought we needed a fresh start."
However, Hodgson said releasing an offender with an immigration violation is the same as allowing charged suspects to walk free even though there's an out-of-state warrant for their arrest.
"Either it's going to apply for all," he said, "or none."
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