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New Protocols Take Effect in Connecticut for Immigration Detention Requests

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New protocols went into effect January 1 that affect the way state law enforcement handles detention requests by federal immigration authorities. 

Mike Lawlor, the state’s Under Secretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning, said, "Governor Malloy ordered the Department of Corrections and the state police to begin following this protocol over a year and a half ago. So the way it works is, when we get a detainer request from the Feds, we will only honor it if we determine that the prisoner involved is, in fact, a dangerous or serious criminal."

Now local police stations and court houses will also have to follow state regulations.

Under a federal program called Secure Communities, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would request that state and local police share fingerprints of many individuals they picked up. But Lawlor said that led to many people being arrested for relatively minor infractions, and held for long periods of time in detention facilities, subject to deportation.

Lawlor said there were other unintended consequences. Connecticut police chiefs discovered that if people in the immigrant neighborhoods thought that cooperating with the local police meant they were actually cooperating with immigration police, "then people would stop calling the police if they’re a victim of a crime, or they’re a witness to a crime," Lawlor said. "They just won’t cooperate. And if you get to that point, then everything starts to break down."

A recent Boston Globe article finds that the number of immigrants jailed for deportation across New England plunged almost 28 percent last year.

Lawlor said he’s not surprised. He believes states are passing along fewer referrals to ICE, and the agency has become more selective about its requests. Ultimately, Lawlor said, Congress has to reform America’s federal immigration laws.

Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public. She is a reporter and contributor to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Here and Now; and The World from PRX. She spent seven years as CT Public Radio's local host for Morning Edition.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.