TheImpactofLocalImmigrationEnforcementPolicies ontheHealthofImmigrantHispanics/Latinosinthe UnitedStates

Federal immigration enforcement policies have been increasingly delegated to state and local jurisdictions, leading to increased enforcement activities by local police. This shift has resulted largely from the implementation of 2 federal initiatives: section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Secure Communities program. Section 287(g) authorizes Immigration and Custom Enforcement to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration law during their regular, daily law enforcement activities. The original intention was to “target and remove undocumented immigrants convicted of violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling and money laundering.” 1 Added to the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1996, section 287(g) was not widely used in its first decade, but its use accelerated in the mid- to late 2000s. 2,3