DHS Excludes Traffic Violations from Secure Communities

Illegal aliens who are picked up for minor offenses like driving without a license will no longer be picked by by Immigration and Customs and Enforcement officials under the DHS’s Secure Communities program. The Obama Administration announced the new rule on Friday amid resistance from several illegal-alien-friendly states such as New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois.

Under the Secure Communities program, all individuals who are fingerprinted by local police are cross referenced with the FBI and DHS records to check for any immigration violations. If an individual is found to be in the country illegally, local police are instructed to hold them until they can be picked up by federal immigration agents.

The program has helped to contribute to Pres. Obama’s claims to making a record number of deportations in 2011. The Department of Homeland Security plans to extend the program nationwide, and currently it’s in about 3,000 municipalities.

Under the new rule, individuals arrested for traffic violations who have no prior criminal histories will have an immigration hold placed on them rather than be picked up by federal agents.

“ICE agrees that enforcement action based solely on a charge for a minor traffic offense is generally not an efficient use of government resources,” the department response says.

For more information, see the New York Times.