While Montgomery County is fighting federal enforcement of Secure Communities, every other Maryland county has welcomed the deportation program for illegal immigrants and Virginia has implemented the program statewide. Prince George’s County was the first in Maryland to implement the program, which helps identify illegal immigrants by running inmates’ fingerprints through federal databases.
Since the program started in December 2009, the county has deported more than 220 illegal immigrants, including 78 violent offenders.
The federal government activated Secure Communities statewide in Virginia in June 2010 and required all counties to participate.
Arlington County tried to withdraw, but was forced to comply. Since Arlington’s implementation in April 2010, the county has deported roughly 52 undocumented immigrants.
Prince William County has deported 650 since implementation in September 2009. The District does not yet comply with the program.
Loudoun and Prince William counties in Virginia and Frederick County in Maryland use more aggressive immigration enforcement laws known as 287(g), a federal program that allows local police officers to act as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents to detain suspected illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, Maryland state officials voted to allow illegal immigrants to attend state universities at in-state tuition rates this year.
Nationwide, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has deported more than 72,000 illegal immigrants through Secure Communities, according to ICE spokesman Ross Feinstein. – Hayley Peterson
