NDLON in the News

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Bi criticizes Se Communities program – Catholic Culture

Criticizing the Department of Homeland Security’s Se Communities program, Auxiliary Bi Mitchell Rozanski of Baltimore said that an illegal immigrant should “not be detained until he/she has been convicted of a crime that poses a threat to public safety of immigrant communities and families, rather than at the time of arrest.” Bi Rozanski added: The Church acknowledges the right of governments to control and protect its borders however the human dignity and human rights of undocumented migrants should be respected. Programs like Se Communities as well as overly-aggressive laws such as those passed in states like Alabama and Arizona underscore the need for comprehensive and just immigration reform. Enforcement-only immigration policies will not humanely or effectively fix our nation’s broken immigration system. – Catholic Culture 03.02.2012

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Se Communities: The Real Cost of Failed Immigration Policy

In his 2013 proposed budget, President Obama outlined the administration’s plan to cut $17 million from the failed and expensive 16-year-old 287 (g) program to expand the equally failed and expensive four year-old Se Communities program. Both programs were created to allow state and local police to check fingerprints of the most violent, dangerous criminals who are booked in jail against federal immigration databases. If there is a discrepancy on the federal database, then local law enforcement must hold the person on a “detainer” until federal ICE agents can find out whether that person is documented or not. They then make decisions about whether or not to put that person into deportation proceedings.  Until the federal government takes responsibility to reform an immigration system that is outdated and no longer serves our interests, it is up to states to take action. – Huffington Post 03.02.0212

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Santa Cruz County planners give blessing to Live Oak day worker center

A long-planned day worker center is set to go into a Live Oak neighborhood after its permit was approved Friday by county planners. The development comes after years of work by supporters of the plan, who hope to create a safer environment for workers and employers to conduct business. But the approval comes amid objections of many neighbors who showed up at a hearing Friday to lodge concerns about traffic and safety. “A lot of happiness, ask very happy, ” beamed day laborer Rodrigo Perez, who spoke through a translator and predicted the center would be popular with workers. “They will come because we need the center. They are already waiting for it to open.” – Santa Cruz Sentinel 03.02.2012

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