Basic Legal Principles Require Rejecting ICE Holds – Chicago Sun-Times

It’s a basic American legal principle: We don’t hold people in prison without a legal reason for doing so. We were impressed this week when Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle adhered to that position even on an issue that, frankly, might cost her more than a few votes. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants the county to hold some Cook County Jail inmates for an extra 48 hours, even after they’ve posted bond, because they might be illegal immigrants. ICE, which wants to use that time to check the inmates’ immigration status and pick them up if necessary, even has proposed paying the county’s additional costs for holding the inmates.

Protestan en EU contra programa Comunidades Seguras de inmigración

Decenas de personas protestaron hoy en Maryland contra el programa Comunidades Seguras, view que faculta a policías locales a cooperar con el Servicio de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) para la deportación de extranjeros con antecedentes penales. El activista comunitario de la organización Casa de Maryland, Lindolfo Carballo, dijo que varios dirigentes reunieron 600 firmas para pedir a las autoridades y la policía del condado de Montgomery que eviten la discriminación en la aplicación de la ley. “Es hora de decir basta” a Comunidades Seguras, “que convierte a la policía en agente de inmigración”, señaló Carballo. El programa cuestionado fue iniciado por el anterior presidente George W. Bush, y ha continuado y expandido bajo el gobierno de Barack Obama.

Los Angeles entregó 18 mil latinos a ICE en 2011 – Univision Noticias

Un estudio reveló que más de 18 mil inmigrantes de origen latino en cárceles del condado de Los Angeles fueron transferidos al servicio de inmigración. La entrega se produjo en cumplimiento a un acuerdo firmado con el gobierno federal para la ejecución del polémico programa Comunidades Seguras. La mayoría de los afectados se trataba de delincuentes de mediano o bajo riesgo, order señala un reporte elaborado por el Departamento del Alguacil del Condado de Los Angeles y la Unión Americana de Libertades Civiles (ACLU), sick reportó The Associated Press. Los hispanos entregados a la Oficina de Aduanas y Control Fronterizo (ICE) representaron el 92% del total de 19,725 internos. La agencia opera bajo el mando del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS).

Preckwinkle rejects ICE attempt to undermine Cook County protections – Chicago Tribune

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has thrown cold water on a proposal by a high-level federal official to end a months-long dispute over immigration enforcement at the county jail. In a letter sent Monday to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton, Preckwinkle labels as “premature” Morton’s invitation to set up a “working group” to resolve differences over the county’s refusal to hold suspected illegal immigrants after they post bail.

Sheriff in crossfire on immigration program – San Jose Mercury News

Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner Phil Wowak on Tuesday found himself caught between an encroaching federal immigration program and resistance from local Latinos who want the county’s top law enforcement official to take a strong stand against it. Appearing before the county Board of Supervisors, Wowak outline his plans to layer his own local reviews into a Department of Homeland Security program known as Se Communities, which uses local jail bookings to help deport undocumented immigrants. It is aimed at those with a history of violence. But critics say the program sweeps up nonviolent offenders and even U.S. citizens, and local rights groups say Se Communities could impact public safety here by making illegal immigrants more reluctant to contact police. They want Wowak to resist the program. Wowak said he would implement assessments of jailed immigrants.

New Independent Report Exposes that More People in Sheriff Baca’s Jail Sent to ICE than to Prison

NDLON Calls On Sheriff to Follow Chicago Example, Stop Responding to ICE’s Request for Extra Incarceration of Peaceful Immigrants

04.10.2012 Los Angeles, CA
In response to the Independent report released yesterday that exposes that more people in LA County jail are transferred to Immigration than to state prison, Pablo Alvarado of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network issued the following statement calling on the Sheriff to immediately suspend voluntarily holding peaceful immigrants in extended incarceration at ICE’s request: