The problems stem from a revolt against DHS’s enforcement of immigration laws. Johnson in November scrapped Secure Communities, a program under which DHS asked police to hold immigrants it wanted to deport for up to 48 hours after their scheduled release from custody. More than 350 communities had ended or dialed back their participation, citing legal and civil liberties concerns.

Now, DHS is encountering similar challenges as it rolls out the replacement for Secure Communities: the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP), which began July 2. Pro-immigrant groups are already blasting the program, under which DHS will still coordinate with police to deport illegal immigrants but will mostly seek to be notified before they are released from custody, rather than having immigrants held beyond their scheduled release.

“Secure Communities needed to be fixed because it was inhibiting our ability to get at the criminals,’’ Johnson recently told the House Judiciary Committee, adding that he thinks PEP “resolves the legal and political controversy.’’