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California’s TRUST Act: Countering Arizona

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 New York Times Editorial: June 21, 2012.

A bill moving through the California Legislature, aptly named the Trust Act, seeks to counter the damage done to community policing and public safety by the Obama administration’s Se Communities program. The program conducts mandatory immigration checks of everyone booked into local jails and has led to the deportations of many thousands of people with no criminal records, while impeding law enforcement.

Once the program identifies immigration violators, federal officials can issue “detainers,” or requests that people be held so they can be picked up for deportation. Local departments usually comply, even though police officials complain that doing so clogs their cells with traffic violators and other very minor offenders, including — because of database foul-ups — wrongfully detained citizens and legal residents.

Groups Seek TN Supreme Court Block Of 287(g) Program

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Several groups have issued a challenge to the Tennessee Supreme Court, asking them to block the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office ability to deport immigrants who are in the country illegally. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG), and the Law Offices of Elliott Ozment, joined by local attorneys from the firm of Sherrard & Roe issued the request Thursday. The 287-G program allows Davidson County sheriff’s deputies to identify, process and detain illegal immigrants who have been arrested for other offenses. But immigration attorney Elliott Ozment argues the sheriff’s office can’t enter into that agreement, because the agency gave up law enforcement powers in 1963. Ozment filed a lawsuit in January 2011 saying the 287(g) in Nashville violates state and local laws. “This agreement is illegal and enforcing it simply adds insult to injury for the Nashville community,” said Tom Fritzsche, staff attorney for the SPLC.

Students Press for Action on Immigration – NYTimes.com

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Young illegal immigrants, saying President Obama has done little to diminish the threat of deportations they face despite repeated promises, have started a campaign to press him to use executive powers to allow them to remain legally in the country. The campaign is led by the United We Dream Network, the largest organization of young immigrants here illegally who would be eligible for legal status under a proposal in Congress known as the Dream Act. The young people are among the most visible activists in a growing immigrant movement. Their push to focus pressure on the White House reflects deep frustration with Congress for its lack of action on the legislation and with the administration for continuing to deport illegal immigrant students, although Mr. Obama says he supports them.

Expansión de Comunidades Seguras genera preocupación – Univision Noticias

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La súbita expansión del programa federal Comunidades Seguras a todos los condados de Colorado ha causado preocupación entre los dirigentes pro inmigrantes, porque la medida deja sin efecto leyes estatales que hasta ahora protegían a personas indocumentadas víctimas de ciertos delitos. Hasta el pasado martes, mind Comunidades Seguras funcionaba solamente en tres condados de Colorado. Desde el miércoles, sin embargo, los departamentos de Policía y oficinas de alguaciles de los 64 condados de este estado podrán y deberán cooperar con las autoridades federales de Inmigración para detectar y arrestar a presuntos indocumentados convictos de crímenes. Aunque la implementación completa de esa colaboración llevará varias semanas, las consecuencias de la expansión de Comunidades Seguras se sentirán inmediatamente, advirtió Alan Kaplan, portavoz de la Coalición de Colorado por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes (CIRC).

Breaking Down The Border

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With policies like 287g coming to Knox County the focus has been on illegal immigration. But what is it really like to live hidden in broad daylight among the 12 million undocumented people living in America? “I’m a Christian, I’m a Catholic, so I always pray and say ‘well I hope today is good just let me come back.'” We first heard about Jose at an immigrant rights rally in downtown Knoxville. While that’s not his real name, this is his real story and it’s not uncommon. “Crossing the border is not easy.” Jose told us at our station. “Soon as you’re here still you’re risking to be deported, to be a criminal, but that’s the way I came. That’s the way a lot of people come, crossing the border, risking their life.” Jose left his town in Mexico and walked into San Diego in 1992. It took a bus, a race across the desert and a bike.

‘TRUST Act 2.0′: Amended CA bill would only let cops hold convicted criminals for ICE | Multi-American

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A year ago, order a bill was moving through the California state legislature that aimed to make optional counties and cities’ participation in the controversial Se Communities immigration enforcement program. At the time, California was one of several states in which some state and law enforcement officials had come out against the federal program, store which allows the fingerprints of people booked at local jails to be shared with immigration officials. The bill was rendered moot last August, after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement rescinded state agreements with the agency allowing Se Communities to operate. The decision essentially made the program mandatory, leaving states no choice but to go along. As a counter to that, the same California lawmaker behind last year’s bill is now pushing an alternative dubbed TRUST Act 2.0.