Group Wants Federal Immigration Program Dismantled
Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 3:41PMAn organization dedicated to promoting rights for immigrants says that a federal program designed to help state and local governments crack down on illegal immigration is not working.
The report put out by the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic rights advocacy group in the U.S., concludes that the 287(g) program, a provision within the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows state and local law enforcement officials to enter into agreements to enforce federal immigration laws, is causing harm to Latino communities nationwide.
“The 287(g) program has been implemented without adequate training, oversight, transparency and accountability,” said La Raza official Elena Lacayo during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.
“The program should be terminated,” she added.
According to the report, the program has produced several unintended consequences, such as granting police unchecked authority to arrest nonviolent immigrants, and using race as a basis for doing so. Moreover, the report states that 287(g) “has led to a clear deterioration of the relationship between Hispanics and the police.”
As an alternative, La Raza and other like-minded organizations want Congress to prioritize passing comprehensive immigration reform that would include a pathway to citizenship for illegals currently in the U.S. However, since the failure of the McCain-Kennedy bill in 2007, efforts to pass legislation have largely stalled, with lawmakers and groups alike pressing for enhanced border control.
That could change now that the Senate has passed a bill aimed at tightening security along parts of the country’s southwest border. The $600 million measure, which the Senate passed today by taking a temporary break from its August recess, will send 1,500 Border Patrol agents to the region, and will fund two unmanned aerial drones as well as establish military-style bases along the border. Supporters, mostly Democrats, say the bill represents the bargaining chip they believe is necessary to get Republicans to negotiate with them on reform. Still, as of now there are no plans to scrap 287(g).
Since 1996, roughly 70 local police jurisdictions have become enrolled in the program. Arizona’s controversial immigration law, SB 1070, grew largely out of the state’s participation in 287(g), which has also taken root in areas close to Washington. Prince William County, a suburb located just 20 miles south of DC, officially enrolled its police department in 287(g) in 2007. Prince William officials attribute reduced crime in their county to participation in the program.
““287(g) is one of the few bright spots in immigration enforcement,” said County Board Supervisor Corey Stewart (R). “I would credit [the program] with reducing Prince William County’s crime rate by 37% in the last two years,” he added.
Earlier this week, Stewart released draft legislation that if passed, would allow the state of Virginia to enforce federal immigration laws. Stewart’s bill is modeled after SB 1070, but avoids what he calls “legal pitfalls” that utimately gave a U.S. District Judge cause to enjoin certain parts of the Arizona law.
Arizona Bill "Dehumanizes" And "Demonizes" Latinos, Says Hispanic Rights Advocacy Group
Talk Radio News Service
During a conference call Friday, focused on polling in response to Arizona's recent passing of immigration legislation, Clarissa Martinez de Castro, Director of Immigration and National Campaigns for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), sent a strong message to the media: "The intent of this law is clear: to dehumanize and demonize Latinos, regardless of immigration status."
Regardless of the intent of the law, some groups have begun enacting economic boycotts against the state of Arizona in response to the controversial legislation. According to Elisio Medina, Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), "[Arizona] is getting a very strong message from the rest of America, that this is unacceptable behavior...A growing number of U.S. cities, institutions, and civil rights leaders have announced opposition to S.B. 1070, and support for economic sanctions against Arizona."
Despite a growing sentiment that conservative Republicans oppose federal immigration reforms pitched by moderate Republicans and Democrats, it is clear that voters are looking to both parties to find a solution to their concerns. It can be seen that Latino support for Republicans has fallen dramatically in recent years, and the party may soon suffer from this loss of favor by the country's fastest growing constituent group, which has a history of great political plasticity. In light of the coming election, however, the Republican National Committee dropped Phoenix, Arizona from its list of potential convention sites, choosing Tampa, Florida instead as its location for the 2012 political convention.
Matt Barreto, of the Hispanic civil rights group Latino Decisions, clarified during the conference call, however, that 33% of Latino votes believe that both Republicans and Democrats are responsible for the new Arizona immigration law, and Ben Patinkin of Grove Insight adds that, "pluralities of voters believe that both parties are ignoring or avoiding [working towards comprehensive immigration reform]."
According to Medina and Martinez de Castro, voters are "fed up" with the federal government for putting off immigration reform. Their groups are calling for comprehensive immigration reform, formulated on a national level, and not just increased restrictions imposed by states. Said De Castro earlier today, "the response to federal inaction cannot be irresponsible state action." Patinkin added that, "while voters provide support for [Arizona's recently passed law on immigration], they would greatly prefer a comprehensive solution to the issue of immigration at the federal level."