CA - Bill to limit immigrant detentions in local jails advances to Assembly

1 hour ago • By EDWARD SIFUENTES
North County Times



A bill that would prohibit local law enforcement agencies from detaining most illegal immigrants for federal agents could head to the governor's desk as soon as Friday.

Assembly Bill 1081 by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, is aimed at curtailing the federal Secure Communities program, which is credited with helping to deport thousands of illegal immigrants held in local jails. The program electronically matches the fingerprints of people booked into county jails against federal databases to help identify illegal immigrants.

Critics of the Secure Communities program say it has cast a wide net, catching many people who have never been convicted of any crimes.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore and the California State Sheriff's Association have opposed the Ammiano bill.

Supporters of the Secure Communities program say it strikes a balance between the needs of local law enforcement to protect the community and the federal government's efforts to protect the nation's borders. They say the bill would restrict law enforcement's ability to detain criminal illegal immigrants.

Under AB 1081, also known as the Trust Act, law enforcement officers would be prohibited from detaining a person for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after a person is eligible to be released from custody, unless that person has been convicted of a serious or violent felony or is being charged with a felony.

The bill was passed by both state houses earlier this year but was modified this month by Ammiano to address concerns by some law enforcement groups, including the California State Sheriffs' Association. One of the modifications was that people being charged with a felony could be detained.

Ammiano also dropped an earlier provision requiring local law enforcement agencies to monitor for possible racial profiling and wrongful detention problems.

On Tuesday, the state Senate passed the newly amended version of the bill, 24-13. The Assembly was expected to vote on the bill Friday, according to a spokesman for Ammiano. If approved, the bill will go to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature.

Pedro Rios, San Diego director of the human rights group American Friends Service Committee, said the bill was watered down to make it more acceptable to law enforcement but added that he continues to support the measure.

"In spite of these changes, the Trust Act will still be an important measure to lessen the impact of unnecessary collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration agents, which usually leads to family separation and other human and civil rights abuses," Rios said.

The changes give more discretion to local law enforcement officers while still addressing immigrant detentions by local law enforcement, Ammiano said in a statement.

"With this bill, the California Legislature stands against the federal immigration abuses that have ended the dreams of thousands of aspiring citizens of California," Ammiano said.

IMMIGRATION: Bill to limit immigrant detentions in local jails advances to Assembly

"Critics of the Secure Communities program say it has cast a wide net, catching many people who have never been convicted of any crimes."

They HAVE commited a crime just by being here illegally!!

"In spite of these changes, the Trust Act will still be an important measure to lessen the impact of unnecessary collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration agents, which usually leads to family separation and other human and civil rights abuses," Rios said.

They worry about our laws leading to family seperation and human and other civil rights abuses. Who chose to break the laws of this country? The illegal. Who chose to risk having their families seperated? The illegals. These people know full well the risks involved and take them anyway. They don't need us to cater to them, they need to pay the consequences and take personal responsibility.