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Taking a Stand Against "Secure Communities"

Today DC Councilmembers Mendelson and Graham introduced legislation to prevent the discriminatory, anti-immigrant initiative “Secure Communities” from being implemented in DC.  All 13 Councilmembers co-sponsored the bill.

Contact your Councilmember today to thank them for supporting this bill and encourage them to continue to protect the rights of immigrants.

 "Secure Communities" is a national immigration program that targets non citizens who are arrested by the DC police. Under Secure Communities, if a non-citizen is arrested by the police in DC, their fingerprints are taken and forwarded to the immigration authorities, then crosschecked with immigration and FBI databases. The immigration authorities are allowed to take enforcement actions against them pre-conviction. Under Secure Communities, innocent, law abiding immigrants could end up arrested by the immigration authorities and/or deported.

 This policy would have a direct, negative impact for immigrant victims of domestic violence.  Domestic violence victims, whose fingerprints are sometimes taken if they call the police for protection, will be even more hesitant to access law enforcement for fear of being deported. This policy will serve as another barrier to keep women and children from escaping abusive situations.

Secure Communities would undermine community policing and break the trust of immigrant communities with the police.  This leads to less reporting of crime.  Ultimately this program would make DC less safe. Please contact your Councilmember today and thank them for taking a stand against Secure Communities.

You can learn more about Secure Communities and what Ayuda is doing to prevent its implementation in DC here.