We are grateful the Mayor and the LA Police chief supported the TRUST Act, and we hope that the language left on the Governor’s desk becomes starting point for local discussions, precisely because the TRUST Act provides a framework to preserve the goals of Special Order 40. Unfortunately, ICE has been dishonest about Se Communities, it has used the program as a tool to meet a repugnant self-imposed deportation quota, and the impact on Los Angeles has been disproportionate. We remain outraged that ICE engaged in an apparently unprecedented effort to lobby against lawmakers in California who sought to protect public safety and defend against the criminalization of its immigrant residents. We expect ICE to refrain from attempting to influence ongoing discussions in Los Angeles. At this point, it is clear that ICE is incapable or reforming itself. We will continue to join with national partners who see the end of SCOMM as an integral part of much needed comprehensive immigration reform.
At the end of the day, what matters is the way in which police interact with immigrants who deserve the same protection of civil rights and safety as all other residents in Los Angeles.”
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