SF Supervisor Touts Legislation To Keep Illegal Immigrants Away From Feds
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— A San Francisco supervisor is introducing legislation to keep undocumented immigrants in jail from being turned over to the feds for deportation.
Supervisor John Avalos spoke at a rally Tuesday for victims of domestic violence on the steps of City Hall, saying he wants to prevent local police from detaining individuals being released from custody solely because they are undocumented.
Activists said they wanted to speak out for protecting immigrant women who want to call police about domestic abuse, but are afraid they'll be arrested.
"784 people have been deported from San Francisco since 2008. In 2011 and 2012 about 100 people a month have been deported or have been moved over to the [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] system," Avalos said.
He said his goal is to provide due process and equal treatment for all San Franciscans no matter what their immigration status and to protect victims or witnesses of a crime who go to the police for help.
Rally For Immigrant Women Afraid To Call Police To Report Abuse Held In SF
"This is what survivors of domestic violence are facing as long as Secure Communities is alive," said Beverly Upton from the Domestic Violence Consortium. Secure Communities is an enforcement program of the Department of Homeland Security in which local police share fingerprint and arrest records with ICE in order to catch illegal immigrants.
The program has been criticized for hurting community policing and encouraging racial profiling.
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