Fairfax County stands apart from other local Northern Virginia communities in embracing Secure Communities, a controversial immigration program that drew the ire of human-rights organizations and several local governments who claim the program unfairly targets immigrants for deportation. The program, administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is an information-sharing system under which local police can check the immigration status of anyone they arrest.
Neighboring Arlington County is among those that tried to get out of the Secure Communities program, arguing that the program creates distrust between residents and law enforcement and discourages people from calling the police to report crimes. Federal officials originally suggested that Arlington could opt out of the program, but later reversed themselves and said the county would have to participate or lose federal law-enforcement assistance.
