Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago is the latest official to diverge from the Obama administration’s widening use of local police in deporting illegal immigrants. He is seeking an ordinance that would bar Chicago cops from turning immigrants over to federal authorities if they do not have serious criminal convictions or outstanding warrants. The Obama administration has been rolling out a nationwide program, Se Communities, to catch illegal immigrants through the wide screening of people who are arrested and get fingerprinted in local jails. This has led to many thousands of deportations—and fierce criticism that the feds are catching way too many non-criminals and minor offenders, while delegating too much power to local cops. The administration says it has been working harder to deport only the bad guys, by using greater “discretion” in whom Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains and prosecutes. Mr. Emanuel’s response to the feds: You do your job and we’ll do ours…
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