(Jamaica Gleaner) Despite strong opposition from the governors of two major United States cities and immigrant groups, the Obama administration says it will extend a controversial fingerprinting programme that identifies Caribbean and other illegal immigrants.
In e-mails dispatched last week to officials and the police in Massachusetts and New York, officials of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the programme, Secure Communities, would be activated in all remaining jurisdictions today.
ICE spokeswoman, Barbara Gonzalez said Secure Communities has proven to be the single most valuable tool in allowing the agency to eliminate the ad hoc approach of the past and focus on criminal aliens and repeat immigration law violators.
Last June, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick refused to sign an agreement with ICE to expand Secure Communities beyond a pilot programme in the Boston area since 2006.
