Sheriff Michael Hennessey will be among several speakers in Sacramento on Tuesday to support a bill by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano that would allow local governments to opt out of a controversial federal program that helps identify illegal immigrants.

Ammiano’s bill calls on the state attorney general to rework a contract with the feds dealing with Secure Communities, which allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify illegal immigrants as soon as they are fingerprinted in county jail. Ammiano wants the new contract to exclude all counties from the program, allowing them to then opt in.

While Attorney General Kamala Harris has been apprehensive to enter the debate, recent signs show she may be getting more involved. She met with Ammiano earlier this month and has promised a full legal analysis of the program.

bbegin@sfexaminer.com