NDLON in the News

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Se Communities: The Trust Act fix

For nearly three years, the Obama administration has advertised the Se Communities program as a targeted enforcement tool that identifies “dangerous criminal aliens” for deportation. Over and over, federal officials have insisted that the program’s focus would be chiefly limited to those immigrants whose criminal convictions show that they pose a danger to public safety. But that’s not the case. In practice, Se Communities is a dragnet that fails to distinguish between felons convicted of serious crimes and nonviolent arrestees facing civil immigration violations. In California alone, more than half of the 75,000 people deported under the program since it began in 2009 had no criminal history or had only misdemeanor convictions.

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Director de ICE defiende el polémico programa federal Comunidades Seguras

El director de la Oficina de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE), John Morton, defendió el martes al polémico programa federal Comunidades Seguras, pero se comprometió a continuar su ajuste para responder a las preocupaciones de agencias policiales. Morton, quien compareció ante el Comité de Seguridad Nacional de la Cámara de Representantes, reconoció que las declaraciones iniciales del ICE causaron “confusión” sobre la operación del programa y sobre quién debía participar.

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California’s Trust Act shows need for immigration reform – LA Times

For nearly three years, the Obama administration has advertised the Se Communities program as a targeted enforcement tool that identifies “dangerous criminal aliens” for deportation. Over and over, federal officials have insisted that the program’s focus would be chiefly limited to those immigrants whose criminal convictions show that they pose a danger to public safety. But that’s not the case. In practice, Se Communities is a dragnet that fails to distinguish between felons convicted of serious crimes and nonviolent arrestees facing civil immigration violations. In California alone, more than half of the 75,000 people deported under the program since it began in 2009 had no criminal history or had only misdemeanor convictions. Under the program, local law enforcement agencies are required to send the fingerprints of everyone booked into local jails to the FBI, which checks them against criminal databases….

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Chicago, the Next Anti-Arizona – NYTimes

Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago is the latest official to diverge from the Obama administration’s widening use of local police in deporting illegal immigrants. He is seeking an ordinance that would bar Chicago cops from turning immigrants over to federal authorities if they do not have serious criminal convictions or outstanding warrants. The Obama administration has been rolling out a nationwide program, stuff Se Communities, cheap to catch illegal immigrants through the wide screening of people who are arrested and get fingerprinted in local jails. This has led to many thousands of deportations—and fierce criticism that the feds are catching way too many non-criminals and minor offenders, while delegating too much power to local cops. The administration says it has been working harder to deport only the bad guys, by using greater “discretion” in whom Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains and prosecutes. Mr. Emanuel’s response to the feds: You do your job and we’ll do ours…

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Precedent-Setting Ruling in E-FOIA Case

Court Orders FBI, DHS and ICE to Lift “Veil of Secrecy” and Comply With Freedom of Information Act July 13, 2012, New York – Today, in an important victory for open government, Judge Shira A. Scheindlin, of the Southern District of New York, ruled that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland…

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Washington, DC: Immigration Fact Sheet

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‘Se Communities” is a national immigration enforcement program that targets noncitizens who are arrested by the police.   On June 5, 2012, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “switched on” the program in the District of Columbia. 

 

In response, the Mayor and the District of Columbia passed laws and policies to limit ICE’s cooperation with District of Columbia law enforcement agencies, such as the DC Metropolitan Police or the Department of Corrections.  These laws and policies will protect DC residents from aggressive immigration enforcement and ensure that District local law enforcement agencies focus on public safety, not federal immigration enforcement.

 

How do these policies protect you?

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