All inmates booked into Orange County jails will have their immigration status checked through fingerprint identification starting Tuesday, authorities said.
Orange County joins 11 other California counties — including Los Angeles, San Diego and Ventura — that started the process of checking the status of all inmates as part of a national program to identify and deport undocumented immigrants who land in jail.
Under the Secure Communities initiative, which was developed by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, inmates’ fingerprints will be compared against a database that will simultaneously check FBI criminal history and immigration records maintained by DHS, authorities said.
Previously, specially-trained deputies screened inmates upon arrival in jail. Those who were foreign born were checked further for immigration status.
Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens is also negotiating with DHS to house hundreds of immigration detainees in county jails to help supplement a massive budget shortfall.
— Paloma Esquivel
Photo: Orange County jail cell. L.A. Times file