Feds should help Colo ID illegal immigrants

A panel looking for ways to catch illegal immigrants who commit serious crimes in Colorado says the federal government should open its fingerprint records to state authorities.

The panel made the recommendation Tuesday, four months after a suspected illegal immigrant with a long Colorado rap sheet was accused of causing a crash that killed three people in suburban Denver.

Despite more than a dozen prior arrests, he had managed to stay off immigration officials' radar screen.

The panel, convened by Gov. Bill Ritter, says the federal fingerprint databases would help state and local authorities identify suspects who don't have documents or who lie about who they are.

Only Texas and North Carolina currently have that access. Federal officials have said they hope to expand that.