The national debate echoes concerns simmering in Dane County that prompted a task force to call on Sheriff Dave Mahoney last year to end the Dane County Jail practice of notifying ICE when it books someone who can't show he is legally in the country.

"We don't believe we can create safe communities by making immigrant communities fearful and mistrustful of law enforcement, and that is the result of authorizing local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws," says Luis Yudice, chairman of the Dane County Immigration Task Force. He acknowledges immigrants rights are an unpopular issue at the moment, but wants the County Board to put it to public debate.

Mahoney steadfastly defends the notification practice as needed for jail safety and an appropriate assist to federal law enforcement officials.

The thing about Secure Communities is, it may be the county can't opt out of cooperating with immigration authorities.

That's what ICE says. Local officials in Arlington County, Va.; Washington, D.C., and San Francisco have tried to opt out, but they don't have the power to, ICE director John Morton in October told the Associated Press, because the operating agreements are with the states.