Harris County was the first in the country to utilize the Secure Communities Program, which allows law enforcement access to the immigration database. This program unlike others, such as in Arizona, has not drawn heavy national criticism for the tactics used in implementing the program. Many of the other programs, like those in Arizona, implement questionable tactics in discovering illegal immigrants, such as “street Sweeping”, which is often seen as unnecessary and an invasion of privacy. What does Harris County do that is so different?
The answer is simple. They only run people against the database that have been arrested. The center for the program is located at the jail. By doing this, Harris County aims at only targeting illegal immigrants that are not obeying the laws of the United States and hopefully leaving alone those non-criminals that are trying to make a life for themselves here.
This program, however, has posted higher numbers than any other program implemented in country and is not without its criticizers. According the New York Times article, “Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals” upon renewal of the program last year many spoke out because, “it too often targets perpetrators of petty misdemeanors, causing undue hardship on families and discouraging immigrants from reporting crimes.”
Is this program a step in the right direction for immigration reform? Or does the program cause to many negative consequences to be considered effective? Many citizens fear that just because the program is in place officers will begin to arrest immigrants suspected of being here illegally for petty things such as a broken tail light in order to check them against the system.
The basis of the program is rooted in a 1996 law that was enacted in order to aid police in identifying “murders and drug smugglers” form Mexico. It has obviously grown outside its bounds and should be recalibrated to the original law that it was created carry out.
Bests,
Austin H.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/12/team-of-8-deputies-quietly-rounds-up-illegals/?page=3
