Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus Opposes
Appointment of DHS Secretary Napolitano to
President of UC System
In response to the appointment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to president of the University of California system, senior staff attorney at Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus, Angela Chan, releases the following statement:
"DHS Secretary Napolitano is a terrible fit for the University of California system. Under her direction, ICE's controversial and out of control "Secure" Communities deportation program is responsible for the deportation of almost 100,000 Californians as of May 31st. These deportations are more than any other state, and disproportionately high compared to our estimated undocumented population. S-Comm has drained our state's resources, undercut our community policing efforts, and destroyed Californian families. The TRUST Act (AB 4), a pending bill in California that would set reasonable limits on the S-Comm program to reduce its harmful impact, is needed now more than ever. By contrast, Secretary Napolitano's appointment to the UC president is not."
Charles Sanchez, a core leader of Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights through Education (ASPIRE) and a UCLA student, also expressed serious concerns about Secretary Napolitano's appointment:
"The appointment of Secretary Napolitano to fill the role of President of the University of California system is not only unconventional, but also disturbing. The very same person who oversaw a record number of deportations of our families, friends, and neighbors will be in charge of the public universities that enroll the most undocumented students; this is simply not right. The UC system will not benefit from an individual with her kind of experience; instead we need someone that is an accomplished and dedicated educator. California must do better than this."
Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus urges concerned members of the public to sign this petition today to oppose the appointment of DHS Secretary Napolitano to UC President: http://action.dreamactivist.org/notojanet/.
Join a protest against Napolitano's appointment on Thursday, July 18th at 12pm at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Room, 1675 Owens Street San Francisco, CA 94143. Immigrant student leaders, immigrant Californians, and community groups harmed by Napolitano's deportation policies will rally in opposition to her appointment as President of the UC System.
