Groups preparing for more immigration enforcement

Associated Press

Immigrant rights groups are taking measures to prepare for the implementation in Gwinnett County of a program they say will lead to racial profiling by allowing the sheriff's department to enforce federal immigration laws.

Efforts include educating people about their rights, pushing for anti-racial profiling legislation and setting up a legal defense fund for people detained.

The program, called 287(g) after the section of immigration law that governs it, trains designated state and local officers in immigration law enforcement and enables them to identify and detain illegal immigrants.

Critics have long said the program, which took effect in 1996 but was little used until the last few years, leads to racial profiling.