We have discussed a variety of issues that immigrants into the country have to deal with. One of the developments that our Texas readers might have some questions about is the Secure Communities program. This program is one that is used to help the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement maximize its efforts to keep track of people who have criminal arrests in their history.
ICE says that this program is a way that it can focus the resources it has available on those people. The agency says it wants to remove criminal aliens, people who repeatedly violate immigration laws and those who are a threat to the safety of the public.
As a result of the Secure Communities program, more than 283,000 immigrants who have been convicted of criminal charges have been removed. The program encompasses all 50 states, five U.S. territories and Washington, District of Columbia, for a total of 3,181 jurisdictions.
The Secure Communities program targets a very small percentage of the 10 million people who are removable because of criminal convictions or in the country illegally. For the people who are on the cusp of that target group, keeping a clear name and fighting to stay in the country might be necessary.
Those immigrants who are facing criminal charges or who are in the country without a legal status should work to get those problems taken care of. Working with someone who is familiar with the immigration and criminal law systems might help them to determine how to proceed with their case.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "Secure Communities" Jan. 06, 2015