San Francisco - Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus celebrates the signing of the TRUST Act (AB 4-Ammiano) into law by Governor Brown on October 5, 2013. Angela Chan, senior staff attorney, released the following statement in response:
"We celebrate the historic signing of the TRUST Act in California. The TRUST Act propels California forward as a leader in advancing immigrant rights and restoring trust. For the past three years, California has suffered the most deportations under ICE's "Secure" Communities program - almost 100,000 deportations. Several counties in the state were the first in the nation where this harmful and controversial program was turned on.
With Governor Brown signing the TRUST Act, the tide is turning as we make a big advancement toward disentangling local law enforcement from ICE. Tens of thousands of families will no longer be torn apart and fearful that any contact with local police can lead to prolonged detention in local jails and then deportation. We are deeply grateful to the many community members and organizations that have worked hard for the past three years to make this victory possible.
In light of the record number of deportations under President Obama's administration and immigration reform ostensibly stalled in Congress, bold leadership is needed at the state level to create safe and inclusive communities. California is leading the way and other states should follow. "
To rejoice in California leading the way on immigrant rights, Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus is co-sponsoring a special screening of the film "Documented" with Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jose Antonio Vargas on Tuesday, Oct. 8th at 6pm at the Guild Theater, 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA 95817. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion, featuring the TRUST Act. For more information about this event, please click here.
Background: Governor Brown's signing of the TRUST Act (AB 4 -Ammiano) along with several other key pro-immigrant measures Saturday has brought hope to millions of immigrant Californians and galvanized immigrant advocates across the nation.
The TRUST Act will ease the painful impact of the "Secure" Communities or S-Comm deportation program, which turns even low level or unjustified arrests into extended detentions for deportation purposes in local jails, separating families and undermining community confidence in law enforcement.
The compromise version of TRUST signed into law by the Governor gives law enforcement much more leeway to respond to immigration "detainer" requests than last year's version of the bill, while setting a minimum standard to ensure that those with most low-level, non-violent offenses are not wastefully held for deportation purposes. For example, the bill allows holds for both felony convictions and also for those accused of felonies under certain circumstances. The new law also allows holds for people with a number of higher level misdemeanor (or "wobbler") convictions within 5 years, and for certain federal criminal convictions.
Co-Sponsoring Organizations of the TRUST Act: Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, California Immigrant Policy Center, American Civil Liberties Union, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
