TX prisons now checking status
May 20, 2009
Houston (AP) -- Officials say Texas' prison system is the first in the country to start checking an inmate's immigration history by running fingerprints through a new federal program.
As of Tuesday, all prisoners booked into the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's intake site in Huntsville will have their fingerprints checked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's biometric system for any immigration record.
Any matches with the biometric system are reviewed and appropriate action is taken after a prisoner completes his sentence. Top priority is being given to illegal immigrants who have prior convictions of major drug offenses, murder, rape, robbery and kidnapping.
The Associated Press
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