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Ayuda Helps Defeat "Secure Communities" in DC

In July, immigrants’ advocacy and service groups won a victory when the D.C. Police Department (DCPD) decided to withdraw their agreement with the federal government to implement Secure Communities.   When a local or state jurisdiction implements Secure Communities, the fingerprints of all immigrants who are arrested (not convicted) for certain crimes are automatically sent to the immigration authorities.

 Ayuda generally opposed Secure Communities, focusing its efforts particularly on the potential impact for domestic violence (DV) survivors.  DV survivors are often arrested at the same time as their abusers, and this initiative would make them even less willing than usual to contact the police.  Ayuda was a leader around the DV issue, submitted written testimony to the D.C. Council, and also read testimony from one of our DV clients.  Here is an excerpt:

I do not know what I would have done if Secure Communities were in place during my abusive relationship.  I was already terrified to call the police and would have been even more afraid to call. 

I know my fears are shared by others in the immigrant community.  In addition, misinformation among the immigrant community is common because we do not speak English and get our information by word-of-mouth from others in the immigrant community.  If even one person were deported as a result of Secure Communities, the news would spread fast, and immigrant victims of crime would be even more afraid to call the police.  The police would be seen as working with the immigration authorities.  Immigrants would fear the police more than they do now.  We would all be silenced.

With Secure Communities, there would be even more crime, violence, death, and fear of the police instead of trust in them to protect us all.  Secure Communities would work to terrorize victims like me while abusers would continue taking advantage of their victims and intimidating us. 

I speak from experience; I lived in fear of deportation for over three years until I called the police for help.  I now wish I would have called sooner.  The police helped me and I slowly learned that the police can be trusted.  But if Secure Communities were the law, people like me would not have the courage to call the police for help.  Battered immigrant women and their children would live in paralyzing fear with nobody to turn to for help.  Some abusers would possibly end up killing their victims and even their children because there would be no intervention.  This could have happened to me and I am thankful that I had the courage to call the police and get help. 

Before DCPD pulled their agreement, the D.C. Council was preparing to vote to override it.  Special kudos go to Ward I Councilmember Jim Graham and Councilmember at Large Phil Mendelson, who led this push back on the Council level.

The fight over Secure Communities is not finished by any means.  The federal government has a goal of implementing the initiative nationwide in all jurisdictions by 2013.  Virginia already has implemented Secure Communities in all its jurisdictions and a few jurisdictions have negotiated an even more expanded immigration role with local police through 287-G agreements. Maryland has implemented Secure Communities in 4 of 24 jurisdictions. We know, with the anti-immigrant sentiment in Arizona, Virginia and other states, Ayuda will need remain vigilant and active around these issues.   We will keep engaged with local groups working on this issue and make sure that information about the full impact on immigrants and their voices are heard in the debate.