Montgomery County officials said Tuesday they would comply with a federal crackdown on illegal immigrants, acknowledging that they are powerless to block the program that leads to more deportations of those in the country illegally. Last week, County Executive Ike Leggett told The Washington Examiner he was weighing potential legal challenges against the Secure Communities program, saying it would undermine public safety.

The program requires local detention centers to send inmates’ fingerprints to a national database that helps federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents identify and deport illegal immigrants.