Immigration

New federal effort to deport criminal immigrants draws local skepticism

As the Obama administration prepares to alter how it enforces immigration laws, top officials have been conducting weeks of shuttle diplomacy, touring the country to try to reenlist police chiefs and mayors in the cause of deporting people convicted of crimes.
Local officials are skeptical because of a previous system that resulted in the detention and removal from the U.S. of thousands of immigrants ensnared by local law enforcement, many on minor charges.