Baker hits Patrick on immigration checks
Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker says Gov. Deval Patrick should sign up for a controversial program that automatically checks the immigration status of people arrested.
Baker said at a news conference Thursday he would sign up for the so-called "Secure Communities" program if he is elected governor.
He also says he would restore an order signed by former Gov. Mitt Romney but reversed by Patrick that allowed State Police troopers to check the immigration status of people they encounter while doing their job.
The Boston Police have signed up for the program. It checks arrestees' fingerprints against FBI criminal records and Department of Homeland Security biometrics-based immigration records.
Immigrant advocates say it discourages immigrants from reporting crime.
