4. Border and Enforcement News:

No opt-out for immigration enforcement

The Washington Post reports that it is virtually impossible for a local jurisdiction to opt-out of Secure Communities, a controversial immigration enforcement program that uses fingerprints gathered by local law enforcement agencies to identify illegally present immigrants.  The program was thought to be voluntary and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano reinforced that perception in a September 7^th letter to Congress that advised local law enforcement agencies that did not want to participate to notify David Venturella, the Assistant Director for the program.

Secure Communities operates in 32 states and has resulted in the deportation of tens of thousands of illegally present immigrants. The program relies on fingerprints that are collected by local law enforcement agencies, forwarded to the FBI for criminal background checks, and then made accessible to ICE.  The only way to opt out of the program would be to not send fingerprints to the FBI, but doing so would be implausible because states depend on the FBI to provide the criminal records of the people they arrest.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/09/30/AR2010093007268.html

* * * * * *

Immigration audits of employers increase

The Phoenix Business Journal reports that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) is investigating 500 businesses nationwide for knowingly employing illegally present immigrants.  These audits require employers to provide I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms for each of their workers.  Companies face the possibility of fines and other charges if I-9 compliance violations are discovered.

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/09/20/daily8.html

* * * * * *

Deportation of criminals increases

The Sacramento Bee reports that of the 350,000 people deported this year, more than half had criminal convictions, marking a 55 percent increase since 2008.  Noncriminal deportations, on the other hand, have dropped by about 30 percent.  According to ICE officials, the increased deportation of immigrants with criminal records can be attributed to expanded partnerships with local and state law enforcement under programs like Secure Communities and technological advances such as video teleconferencing, which allows ICE officers to interview detainees in remote jails, has also i

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/05/3080002/deportation-xy-x-yxy-xyx-yx.html#ixzz11UVBkSaf

* * * * * *  

Authorities use social networking sites to detect immigration fraud

The Washington Independent reports that a USCIS internal memo obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation suggests that federal immigration authorities may use social networks to determine whether immigrants are committing fraud in the immigration process.  Fraud Detection and Nation Security, a department of USCIS, browses sites like MySpace and Facebook to see if petitioners and beneficiaries are in a valid relationship or are trying to deceive USCIS about their relationship.  According to USCIS, because foreign-born spouses of U.S. citizens can obtain permanent legal residency, these sites can provide useful information to USCIS officials.

http://washingtonindependent.com/100819/immigration-authorities-use-social-networking-sites-to-check-onfraud-fake-marriages

* * * * * *

California border inspector accused of taking bribes and smuggling drugs

The Associated Press reports that California border inspector Lorne Leslie Jones was indicted for accepting more than $500,000 in bribes from 2000 to 2009 and allowing five tons of marijuana to cross the border from Mexico under his watch.  Jones, who is alleged to have worked with an ex-wife and an unidentified investment advisor, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Border Corruption Task Force began investigating Jones in 2009 after receiving a tip that he was accepting bribes.  A truck driver who was arrested in 2007 with 9,397 pounds of marijuana hidden in his vehicle told investigators that he had successfully crossed the border five previous times with Jones’ help.  The driver was arrested after he was directed away from Jones’ inspection lane and prosecutors are seeking an additional $60,000 for this incident.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-border-corruption,0,430517.story

* * * * * *  

Napolitano and border sector chief say border is secure
 

The Silver City Sun Times (New Mexico) reports that Randy Hill, a top ranking U.S. Border Patrol official for the El Paso sector in New Mexico, claims that the state’s border is the most secure he’s seen during his 32 year career.  Although Hill noted that only 73 percent of the sector’s 268 miles of border are considered ‘under control’ by the Border Patrol, New Mexico has seen a drastic reduction in arrests and drug seizures.  So far in 2010, 7,800 arrests have been made in New Mexico, significantly less than the 76,900 immigrants apprehended during the peak period of 2004 and 2005.  In addition, drug seizures in the state have declined by 20,000 per year since 2005. 

The Los Angeles Times reports that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano emphasized the increase in seizures of illegal drugs, currency, and weapons under the Obama administration during her visit to the border with Mexico at San Ysidro.  She declared that statistics show that the Southwest border is more secure than ever before.  In fiscal years 2009 and 2010, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized $104 million in illegal currency and more than 7 million pounds of narcotics.

http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_16161969

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/10/napolitano-san-diego-visit-.html

* * * * * *

DHS set to discontinue SBInet virtual fence

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Department of Homeland Security has declined to exercise a one-year option for Boeing to continue its work on a virtual fence along that U.S.-Mexico border.  Instead, DHS extended the deal to mid-November as it evaluates the efficiency of the program.  Construction of the virtual fence and other technological programs, called SBInet, are part of the larger $4.4-billion Secure Border Initiative.

The fence was meant to prevent human and drug trafficking but after an investment of more than $1 billion, the system covers only 53 miles of the 2,000 mile border with Mexico.  In addition, high-tech cameras, radar, and vibration sensors operate with little reliability and are unable to provide the surveillance initially envisioned by the government. DHS is expected to rule soon on the fate of SBInet as it investigates alternatives to meet border security needs. 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-invisible-fence-20101022,0,5546525.story

* * * * * *