Fact check: What were the key features of the Secure Communities program under Obama?

1. Summary of the results

The Secure Communities program under Obama was a multi-million-dollar enforcement tool that linked people booked into local jails with federal immigration authorities, leading to deportations ^{[1] [1] [1]}. The program resulted in almost half a million deportations during 2008-2014, with little evidence that serious criminals were removed ^{[2] [2]}. It had negative spillover effects on labor market outcomes of citizens and reduced safety net participation among citizen households of Hispanic origin ^{[2] [2]}. The program was controversial and drove a wedge between immigrant communities and local law enforcement ^{[1] [1] [3]}. It was eventually terminated by Obama in 2014 due to its negative impact on immigrant communities and its failure to support community policing ^[3]. The program was replaced with the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP), which limits the circumstances under which ICE will issue immigration detainers ^{[1] [4]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

A key aspect missing from the original statement is the context of the program's establishment and expansion, which was initiated by the Bush Administration in 2008 and expanded by the Obama Administration ^[4]. Additionally, the evolution of the Obama administration's enforcement priorities over time is not mentioned, with a shift towards targeting criminals and recent arrivals, and away from ordinary status violators apprehended in the U.S. interior ^[5]. The impact of the program on community policing efforts and the high number of immigration detainers issued against individuals with no criminal history are also important aspects that are not mentioned in the original statement ^[4]. Furthermore, the nuanced record of the Obama administration on deportations is not considered, with a focus on formal removals instead of returns, and a priority on removing noncitizens with criminal records and recent unauthorized border crossers ^[5].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be misleading in its portrayal of the Secure Communities program as solely an Obama-era initiative, when in fact it was established by the Bush Administration ^[4]. The statement also lacks context on the program's impact on immigrant communities and its failure to support community policing, which may be seen as a bias towards a more positive portrayal of the program ^[3]. The emphasis on deportations without considering the evolution of the Obama administration's enforcement priorities may also be seen as a bias towards a more negative portrayal of the administration's immigration policies ^[5]. The sources cited, including those from NBC News ^{[1] [1] [1]} and Econofact ^{[2] [2]}, may have different perspectives on the program, with some focusing on its negative impacts and others on its enforcement priorities.