About ten organizations demonstrated on Monday, August 15, in downtown Los Angeles against federal program Secure Communities, arguing that the negative effects on undocumented immigrants and their families are far greater than the benefit for the country.
This program allows US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to share fingerprints collected by state and local police to help the immigration authorities to identify and deport thousands of people each year. It was geared to identify and deport convicted felons, but it has also been used to deport minor offenders, victims of domestic abuse, witnesses of crimes and people who were arrested but not convicted of offences.
The illegal immigrant advocacy groups stated their opposition to the collaboration between the local police agencies and immigration authorities.
Secure Communities was piloted in 2008 under the administration of President George Bush. Under President Barak Obama the Department of Homeland Security, expanded the program from 14 to 1,210 jurisdictions. The goal of ICE is to have 3,141 jurisdictions participating by 2013.
On Monday night, after the demonstration, demonstrators had the chance to address a federal task force that was created in response to growing criticism of the DHS enforcement program. This task force will propose changes to the controversial immigration program.
An array of speakers denounced the Secure Communities program. Most of the speakers call for the end of the program instead of making changes to it. In the demonstration, and the audience with the task force participated Hispanics, Filipinos, Koreans, Chinese and other immigrants.
Some immigrants still support the program if it only deports convicted criminals. “It’s ok to deport drug dealers, murderers, and rapists; however, it is not ok to deport ice cream salesmen or someone who was driving without a license,” said Mario, one of the today’s demonstrators.
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