S.F. law proposed to ban immigrant detentions – SFGate

San Francisco is once again leading the way – this time with a proposal that would appear to make it the first county in the nation to unequivocally refuse to detain immigrants suspected of living here illegally for federal authorities. That proposal, authored by Supervisor John Avalos and supported by a supermajority of his colleagues, would make it illegal for San Francisco law enforcement officials to detain someone solely on the basis of immigration status. Currently, the Sheriff Department’s policy states that only people suspected of serious or violent felonies, or those with a serious or violent felony in their past, will be held for immigration authorities. In 2012, 542 people were handed over to federal authorities by San Francisco officials; another 176 were transferred in the first six months of 2013. The proposed law will be considered by a board committee made up of its supporters Thursday, where it is expected to be approved.

Viewpoints: Bill would help California limit deportations – Viewpoints – The Sacramento Bee

From the time of Solomon up to the present day, balance – the art of finding an equitable middle ground – has been a central principle of justice. To uphold that principle,I believe that Gov. Jerry Brown needs to champion the current version of the TRUST Act – Assembly Bill 4 – and resist misguided efforts by some to gut the bill. The measure by…

Philly’s Children of Undocumented Workers Take Letters to Mayor | NBC 10 Philadelphia

It didn’t take Rocio long to figure out why people were coming in and out of her new neighbor’s house. This woman, who asked to be identified only by her first name, lives in a row home on a block of Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. For the past two years, she has kept her children indoors to play. "They don’t play outside because of…

Feds defend illegal immigrant holds at King County Jail – Local – MyNorthwest.com

Seattle’s top federal immigration enforcement official is defending the practice of requesting holds, or detainers, on illegal immigrants locked up at the King County Jail. The county council is considering an ordinance that would limit the number of immigration detainer requests granted by the county. Right now, the county honors virtually all…