Sherriff Dart to Meet Families and Religious Leaders In Little Village
Comite 10 de Marzo
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WHO: Our Lady of Guadalupe Anglican Mission, Familia Latina Unida/Sin Fronteras
WHAT: Sherriff Tom Dart to meet with families, religious leaders, over cook County’s role in retaining immigrants to be handed over to immigration and customs enforcement (ICE)
WHEN: TUESDAY, MAY 10TH, 2011, 2 P.M.
WHERE: OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE ANGLICAN MISSION
3442 W 26th St., Chicago, Illinois
CONTACT: Fr. Jose Landaverde: 773/512-8015, Emma Lozano: 773-671-1798
Sherriff Dart to Meet Families and Religious Leaders In Little Village
Facing persistent criticism and a public campaign which has included civil disobedience events at the doors of Cook County jail, Sherriff Tom Dart agreed to meet with affected families and community leaders.
The issue at hand is the retention of immigrants to be handed over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office of Homeland Security. Currently, Cook County holds immigrants even if they did not commit any serious crime, without receiving any compensation from the federal government and making Cook County’s taxpayers to pay for the expense.
Cook County Jail’s participation in the Federal Secure Communities Program separates families, holds people with no criminal history warranting deportation, and many times violates civil rights. Community leaders say the situation has changed radically now that Governor Pat Quinn has pulled Illinois out of the Federal Immigration Enforcement Program and the Illinois Senate has voted for opting out of Secure Communities.
Last week, San Francisco’s County Sheriff Michael Hennessey declared he will not hold any immigrants who have not committed any serious crime, even if ICE requests so. “Local jails are not required to hold inmates if ICE has identified them as illegal immigrants, and sheriff’s deputies would not be violating any law”, Hennessey said.
“Sheriff Tom Dart needs to address the community and face the children and wives of people deported because of his continuous policy of handling people to ICE”, says Rev. José Landaverde. “If San Francisco’s Sheriff can do it, we are sure he can also do it.”
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Jorge Mujica