LOS ANGELES, Dec 9: The US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has started its drive to prepare a list of over 300,000 illegal immigrants, who have received orders for deportation. The drive is part of a plan to find 314,000 foreign nationals who have ignored deportation orders.

In this regard the INS will also seek help of state governments and local police. Officials plan to place the names in the FBI’s National Crime Information Centre database so police agencies across the country can quickly learn if someone is wanted by the immigration service.

The agency’s failure to pick up such “absconders”—who disappear after being ordered expelled—has triggered harsh criticism. INS officials say bringing police on board will help track down the illegals.

Immigrant advocates have voiced concern that the new policy could dissuade immigrants from cooperating with the police, either as victims or witnesses. In recent decades, the police in Los Angeles and other immigrant-heavy areas, with such concerns, have moved to limit police-INS collaboration.

A 1979 directive, known as Special Order 40, bars officers from questioning people because of their immigration status. Civil rights advocates have praised it as a model compromise.

But authorities say the INS move is not at odds with the directive. The police will still run people’s names through the database only after approaching them for other reasons—traffic violations, for instance.

Even before this week’s announcement, the INS had entered into the database the names of 125,000 foreign nationals—typically deportees with criminal records who, officials fear, may seek to re-enter the country illegally.

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