Biometrics now being shared by all counties in the state

PHOENIX — On Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement began using federal information sharing capability in all Arizona counties. The system uses biometrics to identify immigrants, both lawfully and unlawfully present in the U.S. who are booked into local law enforcement’s custody for a crime.

This information sharing capability is part of Secure Communities—ICE’s comprehensive strategy to improve and modernize the identification and removal of criminal immigrants.

Previously, fingerprint-based biometric records were taken of individuals charged with a crime and booked into custody and checked for criminal history information against the Department of Justice’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Now, information sharing between the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security has been enhanced. Fingerprint information submitted through the state to the FBI will be automatically checked against both the FBI criminal history records and the biometrics-based immigration records in the Department of Homeland Security’s Automated Biometric Identification System.

If any fingerprints match those of someone in the DHS biometric system, the new automated process notifies ICE. ICE evaluates each case to determine the individual’s immigration status and takes appropriate enforcement action. This includes immigrants who are in lawful status and those who are present without lawful authority. Once identified through fingerprint matching, ICE will respond with a priority placed on immigrants convicted of the most serious offenses first.

ICE is now using the system in 746 jurisdictions in 34 states. By 2013, ICE plans to be able to respond to all fingerprint matches generated nationwide.

Since the system began in October 2008, immigration officers have removed from the U.S. more than 46,800 immigrants convicted of a crime.

ICE does not regard immigrants charged with, but not yet convicted of crimes, as “criminal immigrants.” Instead, a “criminal immigrant” is an immigrant convicted of a crime. In accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, ICE continues to take action on immigrants subject to removal as resources permit.

ICE is currently using the federal biometric information sharing capability in jurisdictions in the following states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.