A federal judge in New York City has ordered the federal government to
turn over information about the Secure Communities Program. According to
U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin, “there is ample evidence that ICE
and DHS have gone out of their way to mislead the public about its
‘Secure Communities’ program.” Judge Scheindlin specifically commented
that the federal agencies had not acknowledged a shift in policy. In
addition to Scheindlin’s 81-page ruling, the Office of the Inspector
General has also noted that it plans to investigate misrepresentations
made about the program’s opt-out policy.
In April 2010, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and other
organizations sued five agencies of the federal government to seek more
information about Secure Communities under the Freedom of Information
Act. In February 2011, Judge Scheindlin ordered the federal government
to make nearly 3,000 pages of documents open to the public.
