Today, Governor Deval Patrick announced that the state of Massachusetts would not sign an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to participate in the Secure Communities program, making it the latest state to oppose the controversial program. Last week, New York Governor Cuomo announced that his state would terminate its agreement with DHS, and Governor Quinn of Illinois made a similar announcement several weeks before. Patrick said that there was a “lack of clarity” inherent in Secure Communities, and that its implementation has not been consistent with the program’s stated goals of focusing on serious criminals and threats to the community. Gov. Patrick also said that Secure Communities could make immigrants reluctant to cooperate with the police and “deteriorate relationships with communities that have been carefully cultivated with years of hard work.”
FILED UNDER: Department of Homeland Security, Executive Branch