The article below appeared in AUGUST, yet Republicans continue to make this an issue, facts be damned!
It's rather pathetic to distort the facts and lie about something that is already being accomplished. Yet the Party that caused the "Recession" and allows it to continue with failed fiscal policies knows no limits to their misinformation.
And then the Johnny-Come-Lately, Senator Scott Brown, who can't get his facts straight, sent a letter in SEPTEMBER (article below) addressing the same NON-issue.
Tarr's, others' Secure Communities call too late
Feds have shut off access to crime program
Wire and Staff Reports The Gloucester Daily Times
Aug 30, 2011
BOSTON — Reacting to the recent arrest and arraignment of an illegal immigrant on a vehicular homicide charge, legislative Republicans — including Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester — have ripped the Patrick administration's immigration policies and announced a bill they said would force him to join federal efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants.
There's just one problem: The federal government is no longer asking states to sign up.
Several weeks ago, federal immigration authorities rescinded all agreements with states and announced plans to unilaterally implement Secure Communities — a fingerprint-sharing program with the FBI — negating the need for states to enlist.
In addition, the Patrick administration insists it already shares its fingerprint information with the FBI, effectively participating in Secure Communities. The administration also shares with the FBI fingerprint information it receives from cities and towns across the state.
Senior administration public safety officials told the State House News Service that, by state law, all cities and towns are required to share fingerprints with the state from anyone arrested in connection with a suspected felony. In addition, a number of communities voluntarily provide additional fingerprint information.
"Just about everybody shares our fingerprints with the FBI," said Wayne Sampson, executive director of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. "Everybody does in one sense or the other, but practically every single department does on a daily basis. For most of us, it's sent in automatically."
Despite relying on what appears to be an outdated premise, Republicans fired off an announcement ripping the Patrick administration for refusing to join Secure Communities and suggesting that the governor's actions cost the life of a Milford resident, Matthew Denice, 23, who was killed earlier this month, allegedly at the hands of a drunken-driving illegal immigrant.
Republicans have backtracked since last week, focusing now on the idea that they'd like to see governor show more support for the Secure Communities concepts, noably the sharing of fingerprint and other law enforcement tools.
But the Republicans' initial announcement, which contained quotes from four legislative Republicans — including Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester — included a series of suggestions that Patrick should "join" Secure Communities, an impossibility under the current framework.
"We ought to be giving the people who are charged with protecting us the proper tools, and we are calling on Governor Patrick to do just that by partnering with the Obama Administration and joining the Secure Communities program," Tarr had said in a prepared statement issued last week.
Secure Communities has been billed as a program in which the FBI, which routinely collects fingerprint information from state and local police departments, shares that information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an effort to root out illegal immigrants who commit serious crimes. But it has also sparked waves of protest among immigrant advocates and officials from certain states, who say it promotes profiling and has often been used to target lower-level offenders.
The administration said it supports ICE's efforts to deport undocumented immigrants who commit felonies.
"Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim of this terrible crime. The focus now is on prosecuting the person responsible and ensuring that justice is served. We will provide whatever assistance is required to get that done," said Alex Goldstein, a spokesman for Patrick. "The governor's policy is that serious criminals who are here illegally should be deported. Massachusetts has and will continue to send fingerprints to the federal government, and the Massachusetts Department of Correction will continue to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to facilitate removal of undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of felonies in the commonwealth."
In an Aug. 5 letter to Patrick, ICE Director John Morton informed the administration that it would no longer accept agreements with states to enter the program. Instead, the agency determined that because it involves information-sharing between two federal agencies, they don't need state participation to implement the program. The program is expected to be fully implemented by 2013.
The letter clarified what had been months of confusion within states about whether the program was voluntary or mandatory. Prior to ICE's clarification, Patrick had wavered over plans to join Secure Communities, suggesting during last year's re-election campaign that he was still reviewing the program.
Sen. Brown tells Gov. Patrick to join Secure Communities
By Staff reports
The MetroWest Daily News
Sep 14, 2011
U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., said today he has sent a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick urging him to work with the Obama administration to ensure Massachusetts’ “full and immediate” participation in the Secure Communities program.
"During a Senate Homeland Security committee hearing yesterday, President Obama’s Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano described Secure Communities as 'a key tool in our immigration enforcement efforts to identify those in the country illegally who are also committing other crimes, are fugitives from existing warrants, are multiple illegal entrants or security concerns,' '' Brown said in the letter.
"I agree with Secretary Napolitano, and believe that Secure Communities plays an important role in keeping America safe.
"Recently, three tragic deaths at the hands of illegal immigrants in Brockton and Milford have highlighted the clear need to address this very serious problem. In both cases, the perpetrators were in the country illegally and had amassed violent criminal histories.
"Had the Secure Communities program been in place, it is possible that law enforcement would have been able to identify and remove them from the country before they tragically took three lives.''
"I urge you to work with the Obama administration and the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to address your concerns so that Massachusetts may fully participate in this program as soon as possible,'' said Brown.
Recently, John Walsh posted this reply regarding the large field of qualified and impressive Democratic candidates running in opposition to Senator Brown:
Your suggestion that we focus our efforts on telling our friends and neighbors about Scott Brown's record is exactly correct. Voting in YOUR name, Senator Brown has opposed summer jobs for needy kids, opposed reform and expansion of student loans for middle class students, voted to reduce funding for community health centers and job training programs and blocked the extension of unemployment benefits until millionaires and billionaires got their tax cuts. He does all of this in the name of reducing the deficit while he refuses to put aside special deals and loopholes for the five biggest oil companies and hedge fund managers who pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries. He's voted to gut clean air regulations and after wild Romney-like gyrations on the matter, he STILL says he supports the "general direction" of Paul Ryan's budget which would have ended Medicare as we know it. Continuing his party's assault on Social Security and Medicare, he voted for the radical "Cut, cap and balance" bill from the Tea Party House Republicans.
Whew! I'm motivated to tell the story of how Scott Brown took a 50-vote-per-precinct win in a special election as a mandate to vote over 90% of the time with Mitch McConnell and the Tea Party Republicans. When our friend Lee Harrison of the Berkshire Brigades called Brown "Kentucky's Third Senator," I think hit hit the nail on the head. We need to continue to tell that story one-on-one to everyone we know and to ask them to do the same.
As enthusiastically as I endorse that portion of your message, I must disagree just as enthusiastically - but respectfully - with your suggestion that a large, contested primary is bad for our party. I wouldn't call for a meeting to "narrow the field" - in fact I wouldn't participate in one. This primary - and in fact each of these candidates - reflects the depth of talent and passion within the Massachusetts Democratic Party. It shows off our strength - and it promises to engage more voters and propel our nominee to victory next November. It - and each of them - makes me proud to lead this party and gives me great hope for a win next November that will reverberate up and down our ballot.
I do hear (and understand) the concerns that a hotly contested primary carries risks. Of course that is true but I believe each of us can mitigate those risks by insisting that the candidates we support run a clean, hard-fought primary - and each of us commits RIGHT NOW to support the nominee post-primary to send Scott Brown, his coat and his truck back to Wrentham for good. I expect and welcome that our candidates won't agree on every issue. Let's hear those debates. I am certain candidates will draw distinctions with their primary opponents and I'm confident we'll survive the occasional sharp elbow that happens in a competitive race.
Scott Brown and his Tea Party Republican friends are our opponents. Talented Democrats offering their service are our friends and the competition among them reflects - and builds - our strength. Tell everyone about Scott Brown's record and pick one of these fine Democrats to offer them as an alternative.
Did you know there are only about 150 days until caucuses? Better get organizing if you want to be in Springfield next June.
Before you decide to vote for Senator Scott Brown's re-election, do yourself a favor and examine his voting record. He's not on your side.
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