SAN FRANCISCO IMMIGRANT LEGAL AND EDUCATION NETWORK

OPPOSES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DANGEROUS

“SECURE COMMUNITIES” PROGRAM IN SAN FRANCISCO

 

In the wake of Arizona’s SB1070, which promotes racial profiling by requiring local law enforcement in Arizona to stop anyone who is suspected of being undocumented, the County of San Francisco announced today, May 6, 2010, that it would be forced to implement the federal “Secure Communities” program.  The California Department of Justice has mandated that local law enforcement, in tandem with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), check the immigration status of anyone in the custody of the San Francisco County Sheriff’s Department—by fingerprinting and then cross checking the information through a federal database to determine their immigration status. 

 

The San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network, a coalition of thirteen immigrant rights organizations in San Francisco, opposes the implementation of the dangerous and precedent setting “Secure Communities” program.  Like Arizona’s SB 1070, the program will promote racial profiling, and eviscerate San Francisco’s decades old Sanctuary Ordinance as it applies to people who come into contact with law enforcement.  It will also erode trust between local law enforcement community members, and deter people from reporting crimes to the police. 

 

 “Secure Communities” is simply bad policy, because:   

 

• Secure Communities will tear hard working families apart, by referring people for deportation simply by the fact of being arrested and accused of a crime;

 

• Secure Communities will promote racial profiling by allowing police to take into custody anyone without identification and check their immigration status; 

 

• Secure Communities will erode trust between the community and local police, because people will think twice before they come forward in reporting crimes;  

 

• Secure Communities will undermine the constitutional right to remain silent, as everyone will be forced to provide fingerprints and be checked for immigration status;

 

• Secure Communities will undermine the constitutional right to due process, as people will be referred for deportation without having their day in court;

 

• Secure Communities also undermines government transparency, as the contract was negotiated in secret and bypassed the legislative branch, and the model contract expressly prohibits local governments from releasing statistical information about the program without the consent of ICE.   

 

The San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network is committed to working in coalition to prevent the implementation of Secure Communities, and to demand an immediate, just, and comprehensive Immigration Reform.