[GPSCC-chat] Fwd: PLEASE SIGN ON: Support Letter to Protect Santa Clara County's Immigrant Detainer Policy

[Jim Doyle]

I approve of the Green Party of Santa Clara County signing on to the letter.
Jim Doyle

Spencer Graves wrote:

> Hello, All: 
>
>
>       Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen is asking Santa 
> Clara to support the Secure Communities program of US Immigration and 
> Customs Enforcement.  The Santa Clara Forum for Immigrant Rights and 
> Empowerment (FIRE) supports the current policy of refusing to comply 
> with this federal program.   They are asking different concerned 
> groups to "sign on" to a letter they've drafted in opposition to this 
> Rosen's attack on the current policy;  please see the letter below. 
>
>
>       Moreover, they would like an answer by this Friday, if 
> possible.  The current policy seems to support social justice and 
> respect for diversity, items 2 and 8 in the Green Party's Ten Key 
> Values (www.gp.org/tenkey.php).  If anyone knows a good reason the 
> Green Party should NOT endorse this, please let me know.  Otherwise, I 
> will assume attempt to obtain approval by the County Council and 
> assume the group would want us to support this.  
>
>
>       Thanks,
>       Spencer
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: 	PLEASE SIGN ON: Support Letter to Protect Santa Clara 
> County's Immigrant Detainer Policy
> Date: 	Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:00:02 -0800
> From: 	Jazmin Segura <jazmin at siren-bayarea.org>
> To: 	'Jazmin Segura' <jazmin at siren-bayarea.org>
>
>
>
>Apologies for the Cross-Postings. Please distribute widely.
>
>Dear community allies,
>
>We are the Santa Clara County FIRE Coalition, a broad cross-ethnic
>collaboration among community groups, faith-based groups, immigrants rights
>advocates, immigrants rights service providers, youth organizations, legal
>service providers, and civil rights groups.  In October 2011, our County
>became a beacon for counties in the nation to protect immigrants rights and
>public safety by passing the most progressive detainer policy in the nation.
>Our County rightly and courageously stood up to ICE, and for our community.
>
>
>Most recently, District Attorney Jeff Rosen is trying to force the Board to
>re-neg this policy.  We are asking you to please sign on to this letter and
>urge the County Board of Supervisors to protect it.  To sign on, please
>email Jazmin Segura at SIREN at jazmin at siren-bayarea.org or Charisse Domingo
>with Silicon Valley De-Bug at charissedomingo at gmail.com  We would like to
>get as many organizations to sign on by Tuesday, January 8, 2013.
>
>Thank you so much for your support.
>
>Sincerely,
>Santa Clara County FIRE Coalition
>
>SIGN ON LETTER:
>We, the undersigned, stand together in strongly supporting Santa Clara
>County's current Civil Detainer Policy 3.54 voted in by the Board of
>Supervisors that separates local law enforcement from federal immigration,
>builds needed trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement, and
>creates a safer Santa Clara County for all. As such, we also collectively
>reject any attempts to undermine the policy.
>
> 
>
>Since October 2011, when the policy was passed, Santa Clara County has
>become a beacon for counties nationwide to follow as an intelligent and
>value-driven response to immigration detainer requests in a way that
>protects immigrant rights. As a region where one-third of our residents are
>immigrants, nearly half of our workforce is foreign-born and close to
>two-thirds of those under the age of 18 are children of immigrants -- it was
>appropriate that our county lead the way. Refusing to buy any more lies from
>ICE who strung along the entire country with the failed promises of the
>Secure Communities Program, Santa Clara County wisely took a stand to not
>fuel this broken immigration system that to date, has deported more than
>over 80,000 from California alone.
>
>The policy, guided through a lengthy process that included input from
>elected decision-makers, law enforcement officials, legal experts, and
>community advocates respects the criminal court system in imposing and
>overseeing the appropriate punishment on criminal behavior.   Local law
>enforcement's use of detainer requests to determine public safety even after
>the courts have determined the appropriate custodial status only erodes
>trust and causes confusion between immigrant communities and the local law
>enforcement. ICE, which has proven to be as unaccountable as it has been
>deceptive, should not be controlling our county's local justice system. When
>this happens, public safety and belief in the integrity of our local justice
>system becomes compromised.  The current policy demonstrated our County's
>capacity to elevate local policy setting beyond the false choice propagated
>by ICE of public safety OR immigrants rights. 
>
>In addition, it is a failure of leadership if the County decides to even
>reconsider - or worse revoke -- this policy only a year after it was passed.
>We count on our leaders to be consistent, strong, and enduring in their
>commitment to the people of this county. To retreat from a policy you voted
>in just a year prior would send a confusing message to the public that would
>cause a crisis of confidence. How much can we depend on our elected
>officials if they believe in a policy enough to vote for it one year, then
>flip flop just a year later?
>
>The County spent more than a year deliberating on this policy which was
>passed by the Board of Supervisors and supported by a cross-ethnic
>collaboration of faith based organizations, civil rights groups, community
>groups, immigrants rights service providers, and immigrant rights advocates.
>Santa Clara County had it right the first time.  Protecting immigrant rights
>results in public safety.  We urge you to protect the Civil Detainer Policy
>3.54 as it stands, and let our community continue to build a County that
>respects the rights and well-being of all its residents through sound and
>principled policies. 
>
>
>  
>
>
>