Danbury Considers 'ICE' Partnership

From The News-Times, the paper I work for in Danbury (written by Marietta Homayonpour):

DANBURY -- The controversial issue of closer ties between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials is still being studied by the city, and a report will likely be presented to the Common Council in January.

Michael McLachlan, chief of staff for Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, said the mayor, the chief of police and the city's corporation counsel are each putting together reports on the impact of taking part in ACCESS -- a law enforcement partnership program offered by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.

ACCESS stands for Agreements of Cooperation in Communities to Enhance Safety and Security. The program was created by ICE in late summer to allow local law enforcement agencies to team with the federal agency on a dozen specific crime areas, including document fraud, child exploitation and human trafficking.

But one part of ACCESS -- called 287(g) -- has existed for several years. That component cross-designates local police officers to enforce immigration law as authorized through section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The three studies by Danbury officials on whether to take part in the ICE program, McLachlan said, are "due diligence" in preparation for a report to the Common Council. The studies will likely be condensed into one report . . .

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