Se Communities: The Real Cost of Failed Immigration Policy

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In his 2013 proposed budget, President Obama outlined the administration’s plan to cut $17 million from the failed and expensive 16-year-old 287 (g) program to expand the equally failed and expensive four year-old Se Communities program. Both programs were created to allow state and local police to check fingerprints of the most violent, dangerous criminals who are booked in jail against federal immigration databases. If there is a discrepancy on the federal database, then local law enforcement must hold the person on a “detainer” until federal ICE agents can find out whether that person is documented or not. They then make decisions about whether or not to put that person into deportation proceedings.  Until the federal government takes responsibility to reform an immigration system that is outdated and no longer serves our interests, it is up to states to take action. – Huffington Post 03.02.0212

Santa Cruz County planners give blessing to Live Oak day worker center

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A long-planned day worker center is set to go into a Live Oak neighborhood after its permit was approved Friday by county planners. The development comes after years of work by supporters of the plan, who hope to create a safer environment for workers and employers to conduct business. But the approval comes amid objections of many neighbors who showed up at a hearing Friday to lodge concerns about traffic and safety. “A lot of happiness, ask very happy, ” beamed day laborer Rodrigo Perez, who spoke through a translator and predicted the center would be popular with workers. “They will come because we need the center. They are already waiting for it to open.” – Santa Cruz Sentinel 03.02.2012

Santa Cruz day laborer house green-lighted – KSBW

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A house in the Live Oak neighborhood of Santa Cruz got a green light from the county zoning commission Friday to be converted into a center for day laborers.  The one-story house at 2261 Seventh Ave. is slated to become a hiring center and hangout for hundreds of day laborers looking for work. A Friday morning vote by the Santa Cruz County Planning and Zoning Commission approved the day labor house project.  For years, day laborer have congregated outside Home Depot and ProBuild home improvement stores on River Street in Santa Cruz and 41st Street in Capitola, waiting in hopes of getting picked up for a job. Supporters of the center, run by the Community Action Board, said it would help match employers with workers’ skill sets, protect day laborers from getting cheated out of pay, and give laborers a place to go instead of public streets and sidewalks. – KSBW 03.02.2012