When: Monday, Oct. 7, 10:30 AM Pacific / 1:30 PM Eastern
Who: Confirmed speakers include –
- Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, D – San Francisco
- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
- Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize-winning undocumented journalist and founder of Define American
- Rabbi Ken Chasen, Leo Baeck Temple, Los Angeles
- Neidi Dominguez, California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance
- María Sánchez, LA mom facing deportation due to arrest over a fender-bender in Torrance; member of POWER
- Dean Santos, youth who faced deportation after minor arrest, member of ASPIRE
The call is hosted by the organizational sponsors of the TRUST Act: Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, California Immigrant Policy Center, ACLU of California, and Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Background: Governor Jerry Brown’s signing of the TRUST Act (AB 4 – Ammiano) along with several other key pro-immigrant measures Saturday has brought hope to millions of immigrant Californians and galvanized immigrant advocates across the nation. On Monday’s tele-press conference, key leaders will examine the TRUST Act’s impact on California, neighboring states, and national immigration reform debate.
The TRUST Act will ease the painful impact of the “Se” Communities or S-Comm deportation program, which turns even low level or unjustified arrests into extended detentions for deportation purposes in local jails, separating families and undermining community confidence in law enforcement. S-Comm has deported a total of nearly 100,000 Californians to date, most with minor or no convictions.
The compromise version of TRUST signed into law by the Governor gives law enforcement much more leeway to respond to immigration “detainer” requests than last year’s version of the bill, while setting a minimum standard to ensure that those with most low-level, non-violent offenses are not wastefully held for deportation purposes. For example, the bill allows holds for both felony convictions and also for those accused of felonies under certain circumstances. The new law also allows holds for people with a number of higher level misdemeanor (or “wobbler”) convictions within 5 years, and for certain federal criminal convictions.
The new law, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2014 , has earned a growing wave of support including former Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, police chiefs including San Diego’s Chief Lansdowne, Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca, 28 members of US Congress, legal experts, and faith leaders.
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