Saturday, December 17 – 11:00 am – No More Deportations campaign meeting

At Walker Church, 3104 16th Ave. South, Minneapolis.

Join us for the No More Deportations campaign to help stop the programs that threaten and deport people in Minnesota. Invite your friends!

Sábado, 17 de diciembre – 11:00 am – Reunión de la campana No Mas Deportaciones

En la iglesia Walker, 3104 16th Ave. South, Minneapolis.

Ven a la reunión de la campana No Mas Deportaciones para ayudar en la lucha contra los programas que amenazan y deportan gente en Minnesota. Invitar a tus amigos!

Volante PDF

Clínica legal de inmigración — Gratis para la comunidad
Sábado, 27 de agosto
10:00 a.m. a 1:00 p.m.
Iglesia Walker
31 Street y 16 Avenue, Minneapolis
(Entrada en 16 Avenue)

Tienes preguntas sobre asuntos o estatus de migración? Estas enfrentando o conoces a alguien que esta enfrentando deportación? Ven a hablar con un abogado en nuestra clínica legal gratis sobre migracion.

Patrocinado por  El Comité por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes (MIRAc)  y el Proyecto Nacional de Migración del Gremio Nacional de Abogados (NLG)

El Comité por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes (MIRAc)
Info: 651-389-9174 | miracmn@gmail.com | mirac1.wordpress.com

_________________________________

Flyer PDF

Free Immigration Legal Clinic
Saturday, August 27
10:00 a.m. to 1:00  p.m.
Walker Church
31st Street & 16th Ave, Minneapolis
(enter on 16th Ave for legal clinic)

Do you have legal questions about immigration status? Are you or someone you know facing deportation? Come talk with a lawyer for free at our free immigration clinic for the community.

Sponsored by Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) and the National Lawyers Guild’s (NLG) National Immigration Project

Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc)
Info: 651-389-9174 | miracmn@gmail.com | mirac1.wordpress.com

Dear Director Morton:

We are writing to express our concerns over the newly-established Advisory Committee that will advise you on “ways to improve Secure Communities.”

As part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (“ICE”) June 17, 2011 announcement concerning Secure Communities, an Advisory Committee (“Committee”) comprised of law enforcement, ICE agents, and advocates was established. At that time, the Committee’s purported mission was to issue recommendations (within 45 days) on how to “mitigate impacts on community policing,” “how to best focus on individuals who pose a true public safety and security threat,” as well as how to implement a post-conviction policy for traffic offenses. However, we have since learned that in fact the Committee’s scope is limited to recommendations about minor traffic offenses—a significant departure from your earlier announcement and wholly inadequate to address growing concerns about Secure Communities’ implementation, negative impact on community policing, and the civil and human rights violations occurring as a result of the program.

In addition, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, responding to concerns by Congress that ICE misled state officials to believe that participation in Secure Communities was voluntary, has planned an audit into the program. Notwithstanding the pending audit, the Advisory Committee will be making recommendations within 45 days—recommendations that will be uninformed by the Inspector General’s findings.

The Advisory Committee also appears to lack any accountability to the public and is completely devoid of transparency. The Advisory Committee was established without public input and members of immigrant communities have not been asked to join the committee. Given the well-documented evidence of ICE’s lack of transparency, accountability, and credibility in its implementation of the program, strong public scrutiny is needed to ensure ICE works with the Advisory Committee members and other stakeholders to meaningfully address concerns about the program.

In light of these facts and growing concerns about the program, the creation of the Advisory Committee is not sufficient to address the well-documented problems surrounding Secure Communities—a program that has already torn apart thousands of families and devastated communities across the country by funneling people into a detention and deportation system rife with abuse. To adequately examine the program, the Committee, at a minimum, must include affected community members who can speak to the impact of the program and be allowed to do significantly more than simply make recommendations about minor traffic offenses. The Committee must be permitted to investigate and respond to the following criticisms voiced by governors, members of Congress, law enforcement officials, and immigrants and their allies:

Secure Communities makes everyone less safe by driving a wedge between local police and the communities they serve. For years, law enforcement leaders have warned of the dangers of turning police into immigration agents because they want victims and witnesses in the community to feel safe reporting crimes.  By relying on local police to enforce immigration laws against the very communities they are charged with protecting, Secure Communities is sending a clear message to members of the immigrant community that any contact with the police could lead to their deportation. This fear has forced immigrants to make the tragic choice between seeking help and facing deportation or risking their safety to avoid deportation. In her Congressional testimony earlier this year, victim advocate Leslye Orloff noted that only 18.8% of battered undocumented women are willing to report their abuse to police, and warned that, “[t]he heightened fear of detention and deportation that increased immigration enforcement through 287(g) and Secure Communities is making it even less likely that immigrant victims will report and aid in the prosecution of rape and sexual assault.”

Secure Communities encourages racial profiling and indiscriminately funnels immigrants into an unjust and dysfunctional immigration detention and deportation system. Secure Communities contributed to the record number of detentions and deportations in 2010. Despite ICE’s claim that the program was designed to keep communities safe, Secure Communities has instead served as nothing more than a tool in meeting ICE’s goal of deporting 400,000 immigrants per year, channeling immigrants into deportation proceedings – regardless of whether they are guilty or innocent, how serious their criminal history is, how long ago their criminal charges occurred, what kind of rehabilitation they have demonstrated, or what ties they have to the community.

There is mounting evidence that ICE intentionally misled the public as to the voluntary nature of the program.   In 2010, ICE stated that a locality that elected not to activate Secure Communities could notify ICE of its intention not to participate. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano even confirmed the voluntary nature of the program in a letter to then Chairwoman of the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) in September 2010. However, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against ICE by the Center for Constitutional Rights, the Cardozo School of Law, and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, ICE adopted an intentionally misleading definition of “voluntary” and “opt out” in order to expand implementation of the program before the expected pushback from localities. In addition, notwithstanding that ICE was aware of the FBI’s recommendation that the program be mandatory for “record linking/maintenance purposes” in June 2009, ICE officials continued representing Secure Communities as voluntary to state and local officials, casting serious doubt on their credibility. And earlier this month, a federal judge in the FOIA litigation rejected ICE’s efforts to withhold documents that would reveal information about Secure Communities, concluding that “[t]here is ample evidence that ICE and DHS have gone out of their way to mislead the public about Secure Communities.”

Citing concerns over conflicting reports from ICE about whether the program was mandatory, the program’s impact on victims and witnesses of crime, and ICE’s failure to meet its stated goals in implementing the program, governors from Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts have rejected the program, while the District of Columbia, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Washington have altogether refused to join. Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Clara, CA, and Arlington, VA have all passed local resolutions seeking to opt out. The California legislature is also considering the TRUST Act, which would allow counties throughout the state to opt out of the program. These decisions make clear the need to re-evaluate the implications of Secure Communities. More importantly, any use of data provided by these jurisdictions to perform searches of the Secure Communities database is unauthorized and unlawful.

Based on the above, we, the undersigned, believe the creation of the Advisory Committee falls far short of addressing the mounting concerns of government officials, law enforcement agents, civil and human rights organizations, and the public. We therefore urge you to immediately halt the program in order to meaningfully address the complaints against Secure Communities and reverse course on this misguided and dangerous policy. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

ADC Michigan
ADC National
African Services Committee
Albany Park Neighborhood Council
Alliance for a Just Society
Alliance for Immigrants Rights and Reform
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
American Muslim Voice Foundation
Amnesty International USA
Arab American Association of New York (AAANY)
ARISE Chicago
Asian American Institute
Asian American Justice Center, Member of Asian American Center for Advancing Justice (AAJC)
Asian Immigrant Women Advocates
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Law Caucus
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
ASISTA Immigration Assistance
The Audre Lorde Project
Bay Area DREAM Act Coalition
Berkshire Immigrant Center
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Black Law Enforcement in America
Brandworkers International
Brazilian Immigrant Center Inc.
Brazilian Women’s Group
Breakthrough
California Immigrant Policy Center
Cambridge/San Jose las Flores Sister City Project
Cambridge United for Justice with Peace
Campaign for Community Change
Canal Alliance, Marin Co.
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
CARECEN Central American Resource Center Los Angeles
CASA de Maryland
Casa Esperanza
Casa Freehold
Causa Justa :: Just Cause
CAUSA Oregon
Center for Constitutional Rights
Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Ventura Co., CA
Central American Legal Assistance
Central Florida Jobs with Justice
Centro Legal de la Raza – Oakland
Chief Chris Burbank, Salt Lake City Police Department
Chinese for Affirmative Action
Chinese Progressive Association
CITA, Albion, NY
Coalicion de Derechos Humanos – Tucson Arizona
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)
COFEM – the Council of Mexican Federations
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC)
Committee for Immigrant Rights of Sonoma County (California) [CIRSC]
Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES)
Council on American Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area (CAIR-LA)
Council on American Islamic Relations, San Francisco Bay Area
D.C. Bill of Rights Coalition
D.C. Jobs with Justice
De Comunidad a Comunidad / Community to Community Development
Defending Dissent Foundation
Detention Watch Network
Disciples Justice Action Network
Dolores Street Community Services
Dominican Sisters of San Rafael (California)
El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos
Empire Justice Center
Enlace Chicago
Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM)
Families for Freedom
Farmworker Legal Services of NY, Inc.
Fr. Jim Barnett, O.P., Adrian MI
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Florida Immigration Coalition
Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center
Frey Law Office, Minnesota
Gainesville’s Interfaith Alliance for Immigrant Justice
Georgia Detention Watch
Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights
Grassroots Leadership
HarborCOV
Hayward Day Labor Center
Hudson Valley Community Coalition, Cross River, NY
Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Inc
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
Immigrant Defense Project
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Immigrant Solidarity Committee
inMotion
Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center – Cincinnati
Interfaith Coalition on Immigration, MN (ICOM)
Interfaith Leadership Project of Cicero, Berwyn, and Stickney (IL)
Interfaith Worker Justice
IRATE & First Friends
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs
Jobs with Justice, National
JUNTOS
Just Neighbors
Justice Coordinating Committee of Dominican Sisters-Grand Rapids (Michigan)
Justice for Our Neighbors – NE
Kentucky Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (KCIRR)
Korean Resource Center (KRC), Los Angeles
Korean American Resource & Cultural Center, Chicago
La Fuente: NYCPP & LICPP
La Raza Centro Legal / San Francisco Day Labor Program / Women’s Collective
La Union
Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center
Latino and Latina Roundtable of the San Gabriel Valley and Pomona Valley
Latino Organization of the Southwest – Chicago
Latino Youth for Higher Education Program
LatinoJustice PRLDEF
Latinos United for Change and Advancement (LUChA)
Law Offices of Mark E. Nerenberg, P.C.- New York
Legal Aid Justice Center — Immigrant Advocacy Program
Legal Services Staff Association, Unit of UAW Local 2320
The Legal Aid Society – New York
Logan Square Neighborhood Association
Long Island Immigrant Alliance
Long Island Teachers for Human Rights
LULAC-Syracuse Chapter
Lutheran Social Services of New York Immigration Legal Project
Make the Road New York
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)
Massachusetts Jobs with Justice
Matahari: Eye of the Day
Mi Vida Family Services, Inc.
Migrant Support Services of Wayne County, New York
Migrantes Unidos sin Fronteras, San Antonio, TX
Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc)
MinKwon Center for Community Action (formerly YKASEC)
Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance (MIRA)
Monmouth County Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NJ)
Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition
Mountain View Day Laborer Center
Mujeres Unidas y Activas
Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA)
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
National Day Laborers Organizing Network (NDLON)
National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Immigrant Justice Center
National Immigration Law Center
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
National Lawyers Guild
National Lawyers Guild Anti-Racism Committee
National Lawyers Guild National Immigration Project
National Lawyers Guild New York City Anti-Racism Committee
National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC)
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
NC Immigrant Rights Project
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest
Neighbors United for a Better East Boston (NUBE)
New Hampshire Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees
New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)
New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia
New York Annual Conference Task Force on Immigration
New York Faith & Justice
New York State Immigrant Action Fund
New York Immigration Coalition
New York State Working Group Against Deportation
New Sanctuary Coalition of New York
North Fork Spanish Apostolate
Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
NYC Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
NYS Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform
Olneyville Neighborhood Association – Providence, RI
Oregon New Sanctuary Movement
PASO (West Suburban Action Program) (Melrose Park IL)
Pax Christi NJ
Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC)
PICO National Network
Political Research Associates
Pomona Economic Opportunity Center
Presente.org
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
Public Counsel
PUEBLO-Santa Barbara County
Redlands Christian Migrant Association
The Restoration Project
Rev. José M. Santiago, O.P., MSW, D. Min., Aquinas Institute of Theology (St. Louis MO)
Rights Working Group
Rural Organizing Project – Oregon
Rural Women’s Health Project
San Bernardino Community Service Center, Inc.
SEIU 32BJ
Services, Immigrants Rights and Education Network (SIREN)
Sheriff Mark C. Curran – Lake County, Illinois
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
Silicon Valley Alliance for Immigration Reform (SVAIR)
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Justice Team – Nebraska
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC)
Southern Coalition for Social Justice
Southwest Workers Union
St Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America
St. Pius V Catholic Church
Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER), Florida
Tenants and Workers United
Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights (TIRRC)
Tierra Y Libertad Organization – TYLO – Tucson, AZ
UAW Local 2325- Association of Legal Aid Attorneys
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
United We Dream Network
Vermont Immigration and Asylum Advocates
Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLAO)
VOZ Workers Rights Education Project
Washington Defender Association’s Immigration Project, Seattle, WA
Wayne Action for Racial Equality
We Are One America
WeCount
Western Dominican Province (Oakland CA)
Wind of the Spirit, Immigrant Resource Center – Morristown, NJ
Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Women Encouraging Empowerment Inc.
Workers Defense Project
Workplace Project NY

Cc:

Chuck Wexler, Executive Director, Police Executive Research Forum
Ivan Fong, DHS Office of General Counsel
Kelly Ryan, DHS Office of Policy
Esther Olavarria, DHS Office of Policy
Brandon Prelogar, DHS Office of Policy
Margo Schlanger, DHS Office for Civil Rights and Liberties
Beth Gibson, ICE Office of the Assistant Secretary
Andrew Lorenzen-Strait, ICE Office of Policy
Phyllis Coven, ICE Office of Detention Policy and Planning
Felicia Escobar, White House Domestic Policy Council
Cecilia Muñoz, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
Stephanie Valencia, White House Office of Public Engagement
Lynn Rosenthal, White House Adviser on Violence Against Women

Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc)

651-389-9174 | miracmn@gmail.com | mirac1.wordpress.com
________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
June 21, 2011

Cosmetic Reforms to “Secure Communities” Deportation Program More Spin than Substance
Local immigrant rights activists continue campaign to keep deportation program out of Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN – In response to mounting criticism, on June 17 the Obama Administration announced reforms to the “Secure Communities” (S-COMM) jail deportation program. The S-Comm “reform” announcement acknowledges grave problems in S-Comm’s design and implementation, but it falls short of the moratorium on the program expected by law makers and immigrant rights advocates.

Adding to the fallout, llinois, New York, and Massachusetts and many cities across the country have either withdrawn or refused participation in the program that they say catches too many noncriminals and undermines public safety by making crime witnesses and victims fear the police. The program commandeers local law enforcement and entangles them in federal immigration policy.

As a result, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Progressive Caucus have both called for a moratorium on the program pending an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General called for by Rep. Lofgren (D-CA) slated to begin next month.

Despite the mounting criticisms of the program around the country, Minnesota Sen. Julianne Ortman (R-Chanhassen) attempted to sneak Secure Communities through the Minnesota State Legislature at the end of the legislative session without discussion. It was tagged on to an amendment of the omnibus data practices bill in a conference committee in mid May. Without transparency, and without a open public debate, Senate lawmakers unanimously approved the bill the same day.

Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) and other local human rights advocates called for Gov. Dayton to veto SF1143, the data practices bill, but just before the end of the session Secure Communities was transferred into SF958, a public safety bill. Although Gov. Dayton did the right thing by vetoing SF958, in his letter explaining that veto, he didn’t name “Secure Communities” as one of the reasons he vetoed it.

“We need to make sure that Gov. Dayton doesn’t allow Secure Communities to come back to life in the special session” said Niger of MIRAc’s No More Deportations campaign. “The state’s budget problems will not be solved by deporting immigrants and splitting up Minnesota families.”

Isaac Martín of MIRAc’s No More Deportations campaign, points out that this would also restrict immigrant communities from reporting crimes. “There should be an elimination of S-Comm, and similar policies. Minnesota Public safety will be at risk if the state is forced to participate in this clearly flawed program. The immigrant population in this state will feel terrorized by local law enforcement if there is a threat of removal from this country, especially if there’s no notification of detention to loved ones.”

MIRAc, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, is an organization that works with the immigrant community and their allies towards the goal of human rights, legalization for all, and equality and justice for immigrants. The No More Deportations campaign was initiated by MIRAc in November 2010. The campaign seeks to prevent the “Secure Communities” program from being implemented in Minnesota, and seeks to remove the “Criminal Alien Program” from Minnesota. These two programs are largely responsible for the sharp increase in deportations in recent years.

Background information on the Secure Communities program is available at http://ndlon.org/pdf/scommbrief.pdf

###

On Friday, June 3 we’re asking all supporters of immigrant rights and basic human rights to call Gov. Dayton at 651-201-3400 o 800-657-3717 and tell him:

Governor Dayton:

1. Thank you for vetoing the bill that included the “Secure Communities” deportation program (SF958) at the end of the legislative session.

2. We are asking you to veto any bill in the upcoming special session that includes “Secure Communities” deportation program, or any other program that would increase deportations and tear apart families in Minnesota.

(If you call, please email miracmn@gmail.com and let us know what response you get.)

Why Call Now?

We need our voices to be heard now so that Gov. Dayton knows he needs to stand firm and refuse to sign any bill that includes “Secure Communities” deportation program during the upcoming legislative special session. The date of the special session hasn’t been set yet, but it will happen sometime before July 1st. Please call Gov. Dayton on Friday, June 3rd to keep the pressure on until the special session!

Background

Over the last few years, deportations that cruelly separate many thousands of families have increased around the country to levels not seen even under the Bush administration. “Secure Communities” is a poorly-named program that is responsible for a large part of this increase in deportations. It connects booking information from local jails to a federal database used by both ICE and the FBI, making many communities less secure. (more background on Secure Communities) There are already too many deportations happening in Minnesota — if Secure Communities is implemented here, we will see a dramatic increase in deportations and separation of families. This must be stopped.

The claim is that Secure Communities focuses on deporting “criminals”. But over 70% of the people deported under Secure Communities have not been convicted of any crime or have only been convicted of traffic-related offenses. Illinois is currently trying to get out of Secure Communities, New York announced they’re withdrawing, and California’s Assembly just voted to allow it’s counties to opt out if they want to. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has come out against it as well as many other congresspeople. Immigrant workers, their families and communities want Secure Communities to end, as they are bearing the brunt of this program through the cruel separation of families on a massive scale. The tide is turning against this program.

Sneaking Secure Communities in to Minnesota?

Minnesota has not joined the “Secure Communities” program yet. But about a week before the Minnesota legislative session ended, Sen. Ortman (R) snuck the deportation program into SF1143, an omnibus bill, with no debate, discussion or committee hearings. Then just before the end of the session Secure Communities was transferred into SF958, the Public Safety bill, which the legislature passed just before the session ended on May 23.  However, on May 24, Governor Dayton vetoed SF958.

Can Secure Communities come back from the dead?

Since he vetoed all the budget bills, now Gov. Dayton will need to call a Special Session of the legislature sometime before July 1st to pass new budget bills. During a special session, legislators can bring anything back into play.  So even though Gov. Dayton vetoed the bill that included Secure Communities, it could potentially be brought back from the dead in a special session.  If the legislature attaches it to another bill and passes it again, Gov. Dayton will have to veto it again or else it becomes law.

Clearly many members of the state legislature as well as the Obama administration’s Department of Homeland Security are pressuring Gov. Dayton to bring Secure Communities to Minnesota. We need to keep the pressure on Gov. Dayton to stand strong against the “Secure Communities” deportation program when the legislature comes back into special session. Back-room deals are usually made between the governor and legislators in the lead-up to a special session. We need our voices to be heard now so that Gov. Dayton knows he needs to stand firm and refuse to sign any bill that includes “Secure Communities” deportation program during the special session.

Gov. Dayton did the right thing by vetoing SF958. But in hisletter explaining that veto, he doesn’t name “Secure Communities” as one of the reasons he vetoed it.  We need to make sure that he doesn’t allow Secure Communities to come back to life in the special session.

Call Gov. Dayton on Friday, June 3 and tell him:
No more deportations in Minnesota! Say NO to “Secure Communities”!

____________________________
No More Deportations campaign
website |facebook | 651-389-9174
Join us for our next No More Deportations campaign meeting: Saturday, June 4 – 1:00 pm – Walker Church (31st St & 16th Ave, Minneapolis)

May 20, 2011

Governor Dayton,

We are here today representing the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) and the No More Deportations Campaign. We were extremely concerned to hear that earlier this week an agreement to implement the Secure Communities program here in Minnesota had been introduced by Senator Ortman and attached as an amendment to the Omnibus Data Practices bill, SF 1143, passing unanimously and without a public hearing.

As you may already know, Secure Communities (S-Comm) is a fingerprint database that is used to check the immigration status of those who are arrested. Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE) claims that Secure Communities will work to deport “dangerous criminals” and reduce racial profiling, and wants to implement it nationwide by 2013.

However, the statistics paint a very different picture. Since the implementation of Secure Communities in 2008, 79% of those deported through the program had either been convicted of petty offenses (such as traffic violations), or had committed no crime at all. 28% of people deported through S-Comm since its implementation have not been convicted of any crime at all, and that number is on the rise. The state of Illinois recently pulled out of the Secure Communities program, and Governor Pat Quinn stated in a letter to ICE “that the implementation of the Secure Communities program in Illinois is contrary to the stated purpose of the MOA… By ICE’s own measure, less than 20% of those who have been deported from Illinois under the program have ever been convicted of a serious crime.”

Secure Communities causes many other problems as well, including:

• destroys families and communities by increasing deportations
• increases racial profiling among local law enforcement
• is part of an unjust national immigration system
• does not allow due process
• makes communities more mistrustful of police
• increases financial and resource burdens on local law enforcement
• little transparency surrounding S-Comm, ICE misrepresents program

We urge you, on behalf of the immigrant community here in Minnesota, to reject our state’s participation in the Secure Communities program by vetoing SF 1143. Immigrants from many nations form a vibrant part of the fabric of our community here in Minnesota, and implementing S-Comm will only serve to harm our community. In this light, MIRAc has recently launched the No More Deportations Campaign, and we are working to stop ICE-police collaboration on programs like Secure Communities and the Criminal Alien Program in Hennepin County. So far we have collected over 300 signatures on a petition opposing these two programs. We are counting on your support on this critical issue.

Sincerely,
Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee
No More Deportations Campaign

Friday, May 20 – 12:30 pm – Press Conference on Capitol Steps: NO More Deportations in Minnesota

We Insist that Gov. Dayton Veto SF 1143 Unless the “Secure Communities” Deportation Amendment is Removed!
Join MIRAc at the Capitol on Friday to send a message to Minnesota legislators and to Governor Dayton that we don’t want “Secure Communities” deportation program in Minnesota! On May 16, State Sen. Ortman added an amendment to the Omnibus Data Practices Bill (SF 1143) that would force Minnesota to participate in Secure Communities deportation program. She snuck this onto the totally unrelated bill with no debate or discussion, no committee meetings, no discussion on the senate floor. If Gov. Dayton doesn’t veto this bill, Secure Communities will be implemented statewide in Minnesota.

Join us to insist that Gov. Dayton VETO SF1143 unless the Secure Communities amendment is removed!

If you can’t be there, please call Gov. Dayton at 651-201-3400 or 800-657-3717.

__________________________

Viernes, 20  mayo – 12:30 pm – Conferencia de prensa en las gradas del capitolio:  No mas deportaciones en Minnesota!

Exigimos que gobernador Dayton vete al SF 1143 si no quitan la enmienda del programa de deportaciones “Secure Communities”
Unete con MIRAc en el capitolio en San Pablo el viernes para mandar un mensaje a los legisladores y al gobernador Dayton que no queremos el programa de deportaciones “Secure Communities” en Minnesota! El 16 de mayo, Senador Ortmann anadio una enmienda al Omnibus Data Practices Bill (SF 1143) que obligaria a Minnesota participar en el programa de deportaciones “Secure Communities”. Ella metio esta enmienda en una propuesta de ley que no tiene nada que ver con inmigracion sin debate, sin discusion, sin audiencia de ningun comite, sin discusion del senado. Eso va a ser la ley si gobernador Dayton no vete la propuesta de ley entera.

Unete con nosotros para insistir que el gobernador VETA al SF1143 si no sacan la enmienda Secure Communities de la propuesta de ley.

Si no puedes llegar el viernes, por favor llame al gobernador Dayton: 651-201-3400 o 800-657-3717.

___________________________________________________

Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc)
651-389-9174 | mirac1.wordpress.com | miracmn@gmail.com

Presentacion sobre la campana No Mas Deportaciones