FAIRFAX, Va. -- Federal immigration authorities launched a new program in Fairfax County that's the first of its kind in the Washington region.
The Secure Communities program will allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to electronically check the criminal and immigration records of detainees in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and other county sites, ICE officials said.
ICE officials will then determine detainees' immigration status and the appropriate enforcement. They will give priority to illegal immigrants with prior convictions for serious offenses, such as murder and kidnapping, officials said.
Fairfax County Sheriff Stan Barry praised the program. It allows the county to identify criminal illegal immigrants and begin the deportation process without requiring any additional county funds or manpower, he said.
