Commentary by Guy Farmer: Carson City goes after illegal immigrants

If Sheriff Ken Furlong has his way, Carson City will soon be participating in a nationwide program that gives local police departments access to federal fingerprint databases for the purpose of identifying illegal immigrants who have committed other, more serious crimes.

"Some of our most serious crimes are committed by illegal persons," Furlong told me in an e-mail interview. "ICE (the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency) has briefed that they are committed to getting rid of those who create the biggest problems in the community."

At the same time, Furlong urged ICE to station field agents in Carson City. ICE argues that the city's "illegal immigrant problem doesn't rise high enough to cause federal assistance. That doesn't sit well with me," Furlong added. Me neither, Ken.

The three-year-old Secure Communities Program allows local authorities to identify illegal immigrants through massive FBI and Homeland Security Department fingerprint databases. Since 2007 more than 460 jurisdictions in 26 states - including Washoe County - have signed-up to participate in the program.

"My hopes and desires are that Carson City will soon follow," Furlong said. "My staff is working on it."

Predictably, illegal immigration advocates are opposed to Secure Communities because of its potential to identify and deport "undocumented" (i.e. illegal) immigrants, who should be deported for violating our laws. The new program makes it easier for local police to identify and track illegals who are involved in drug trafficking and gang activity, which are serious problems in our area.

According to ICE, almost 2.6 million people have been screened through Secure Communities since October 2008; of those, 35,000 had been previously arrested for the most heinous crimes, including rape and murder. Although that's a low percentage of total screenings, it has resulted in the apprehension of the worst, and most dangerous, offenders.

I think Secure Communities represents a viable alternative to Arizona-type state immigration laws. A federal judge placed an injunction on the Arizona law, which would permit state and local authorities to ask for ID from anyone stopped by police. The new national program allows jail personnel to run arrestees' fingerprints through federal databases, accomplishing the same purpose, and it's all perfectly legal. Problem solved.

Meanwhile, instead of helping Arizona and other border states in their ongoing battle against illegal immigration, the Obama administration is suing Arizona. This tells me that our president is completely out of touch with what's happening along our southern border with Mexico, which is rapidly becoming an ominous national security threat in our own backyard.

I commend Sheriff Furlong and others who are combating illegal immigration in our community.

• Guy W. Farmer has been a Carson City resident since 1962.