Miami Police Chief Timoney Wants in on Immigration Reform

In this week's New Times, we report new statistics showing how President Obama's "Secure Communities" program pulls Miami cops into the deportation game. The program, which runs anyone booked into any Miami-Dade County jail through a national Homeland Security database, has already flagged 8,407 illegal immigrants since January. Critics fear...

By Tim Elfrink

July 1, 2009

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In this week's New Times, we report new statistics showing how President Obama's "Secure Communities" program pulls Miami cops into the deportation game.

The program, which runs anyone booked into any Miami-Dade County jail through a national Homeland Security database, has already flagged 8,407 illegal immigrants since January. Critics fear the program amounts to a license for local cops to racially profile anyone who looks Hispanic.

Today, Miami Police Chief John Timoney weighs in on the debate. Timoney was scheduled to speak this morning at the Biltmore, and is expected to demand a bigger role for local cops in the national immigration debate.

Joined by Art Acevedo -- chief of police in Austin, Texas, and head of the National Latino Peace Officers Association -- Timoney will address "the challenges to public safety due to fear of police in immigrant communities," according to a news release.

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Tim Elfrink is a former investigative reporter and managing editor for Miami New Times. He has won the George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.

Contact: Tim Elfrink

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Twitter: @timelfrinkmia