A federal fingerprinting program aimed at deporting unauthorized immigrants ended Jan. 5.
The controversial secure communities program has been in place since 2008. The Secure Communities program was discontinued as part of President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration announced in November.
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson wrote in a memoto Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
“The reality is the program has attracted a great deal of criticism," the memo read. "Its very name has become a symbol for general hostility toward the enforcement of our immigration laws.”
It will be replaced by the Priority Enforcement Program.This system will still use fingerprint data gathered during jail bookings.
The difference is ICE agents will only request the transfer of an unauthorized immigrant once he or she has been convicted of certain crimes.
