Tuesday, August 16th: Atlanta rally targets fingerprint program

[Raffi Ella]

Tuesday, August 16th: Atlanta rally targets fingerprint program


The Associated Press

About a dozen people rallied outside the Georgia Democratic Party headquarters to protest a program that gives immigration authorities access to the fingerprints of arrestees. The demonstration in Atlanta was one of several set for Tuesday at Democratic Party offices around the country. The groups are calling for an end the Secure Communities program.

Opponents of the program say it sends immigrants arrested for investigation of minor violations into detention and erodes their trust in police.

Georgia Democratic Party officials welcomed the demonstrators and said they'd pass on a petition bearing 439 signatures collected in Georgia to the president.

The federal program is in place in 43 of Georgia's 159 counties, and Georgia Republican congressmen have been pushing the federal government to roll it out faster in the state.

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-rally-targets-fingerprint-1114075.html