The Obama Administration is expanding an initiative launched by the Bush Administration to identify and remove unauthorized foreign nationals who have had run ins with the law. The initiative, called Secure Communities, has local jails officials checking the fingerprints of accused criminals against those in the federal immigration database. If a person turns out to be unauthorized, the local police turn the matter over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Currently, the program is taking place in 70 counties – however, it is expanding, and is expected to be nationwide by 2012. The program is not without controversy, as many believe the program fractures the community relationship between police and certain ethnic populations.