The Department of Homeland Security is supplying some local police forces in California with access to a database of fingerprints of immigrants who have been deported back to their countries of origin, in an effort to identify whether individuals are undocumented when they are detained by authorities:

The U.S. government intends to make information available to all local law enforcement agencies in the nation within two years to help catch criminal immigrants, people with ties to terrorist groups, and others who pose a threat.

“We need more people on the ground with information who can act,” said Robert Mocny, acting director of the Home Security visitor-technology program.

Meanwhile, immigrants rights groups like MALDEF worry that this initiative may lead to law enforcement detaining people just to check their legal status.

In Los Angeles County, Bryant said there is no indication officers have arrested people just to check their immigration status. “We’ve got better things to do,” he said.

I can’t help but be reminded of this Houston proposal.

Via / Appeal-Democrat.com