ICE found not in control of program

WASHINGTON, March 4 (UPI) -- U.S. immigration officials aren't properly controlling a program meant to focus on serious crimes committed by illegal aliens, a congressional watchdog says.

The Government Accountability Office reported Tuesday its investigation found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials training local and state police to spot illegal immigrants involved in criminal activity are instead focusing on minor violations, The Washington Post reported.

The GAO report was issued as the House Committee on Homeland Security was set to hold hearings on the controversial ICE program, which was funded in hopes of identifying serious criminal behavior among illegal immigrants but which critics say has instead been used by local police to intimidate and racially profile foreign-looking people on the pretext of minor violations to check their immigration status, the newspaper said.

The GAO says it found ICE has failed to consistently supervise how state and local authorities are using the program, known as 287(g), and warned confusion about its purpose could produce "misuse of authority" by local police.