Category Archives: News Releases

State-by-State Interactive Shows How Much Funding Cities Could Lose at the Hands of Trump Administration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2017

CONTACT
Adela de la Torre, National Immigration Law Center, [email protected]
Tanya Arditi, Center for American Progress, [email protected]

New State-by-State Interactive Shows How Much Federal Funding Sanctuary Cities Could Lose at the Hands of President Trump’s Administration

WASHINGTON — In an executive order issued on January 25, President Donald Trump directed the Office of Management and Budget to compile a list of federal funds given to sanctuary jurisdictions. Though it does not specifically list what sources of funding are at risk, the order also directed the U.S. attorney general and the secretary of homeland security to ensure that such jurisdictions be deemed ineligible for most federal grants and further commanded the attorney general to “take appropriate enforcement action” against them.

A new interactive released today by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Center for American Progress (CAP), and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), calculates the amount of funding in sanctuary jurisdictions in 32 states that could be targeted by President Trump’s January 25 executive order. Of the states identified in the analysis, those that stand to lose the most are California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, and Massachusetts.

“Local and state law enforcement officials and departments understand that they know what’s best for the safety and security of their communities,” said Philip E. Wolgin, managing director for immigration policy at CAP. “No matter how much legislators or even the president try to scare the public into believing that sanctuary cities harbor criminals, the bottom line remains that counties with sanctuary policies experience less crime and stronger economies.”

All across the nation, more than 600 cities and counties, as well as a handful of states, have adopted policies that limit the extent of assistance they will provide federal immigration enforcement officers. A recent, first-of-its-kind systematic analysis by Tom K. Wong released by CAP and the NILC found that crime is statistically significantly lower in sanctuary counties compared with nonsanctuary counties and that economies are stronger in sanctuary counties.

“By seeking to revoke federal funding for sanctuary jurisdictions, the Trump administration is trying to force through executive action what has already been rejected by Congress,” said Benjamin Johnson, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “Cities and counties should be allowed, encouraged in fact, to focus on policies that strengthen their communities and ensure that victims and witnesses of crimes feel safe speaking to police no matter their immigration status.”

The five key funding sources identified by the authors as having been targeted in the past are:

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program
U.S. Economic Development Administration grants
The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program
The Community Development Block Grant program
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

That being said, the authors point out that the Trump administration may not have the authority to take away this funding.

“The 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the federal government from forcing or coercing states to assist in federal immigration enforcement, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the threat to withhold funding cannot be so significant that it effectively compels compliance,” said Melissa Keaney, staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center. “Immigrants are and always have been part of the fabric of America, but the Trump administration stubbornly continues to use false premises of criminality to justify actions that are ultimately detrimental to states and to our nation as a whole.”

For more information or to speak to an expert on this topic, please contact Tanya Arditi at [email protected], Belle Woods at [email protected], or Adela de la Torre at [email protected].

Click here to access the interactive.

Click here to read “The Effects of Sanctuary Policies on Crime and the Economy” by Tom K. Wong.

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The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.

The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies reflect these values. We work to find progressive and pragmatic solutions to significant domestic and international problems and develop policy proposals that foster a government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

The National Immigration Law Center is exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their families. Our mission is grounded in the belief that every American—and aspiring American—should have the opportunity to fulfill their full potential regardless of where they were born or how much money they have. Using our deep expertise in a wide range of issues that affect low-income immigrants’ lives, we work with communities in courtrooms and legislatures to help advance policies that create a more just and equitable society for everyone.

Civil and Immigrants’ Rights Groups Work to Win Release of Dreamer Daniela Vargas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2017

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, National Immigration Law Center, 213-375-3149, [email protected]
Kirsten Bokenkamp, Southern Poverty Law Center, 334-956-8420, [email protected]

Civil and Immigrants’ Rights Groups Work to Win Release for Dreamer Daniela Vargas and Prevent Deportation

Due Process, First Amendment Rights Violated

LOS ANGELES — Civil and immigrant rights groups have taken legal action to stop the deportation of Daniela Vargas, a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient who was detained by immigration agents immediately after she spoke at a March 1 press conference protesting recent U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Mississippi. Vargas spoke of her hope that she and other Dreamers could remain in and contribute to this country.

The National Immigration Law Center (NILC), the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the law firm of Elmore & Peterson, and the Law Office of William Most filed a habeas petition on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Alexandria Division.

“Detaining Dany just minutes after she spoke publicly about immigrants’ rights appears to be nothing short of ICE retaliating against somebody who dared assert their First Amendment rights,” said Naomi Tsu, deputy legal director for the SPLC. “Dany, an aspiring math teacher and active community member, is not a threat to her community. Her detention only serves to chill free speech and stoke fear throughout immigrant communities.”

The groups contend that the government violated Vargas’s due process and First Amendment rights. The petition seeks Vargas’s immediate release and the chance to challenge the decision to deport her.

The DHS contends, but has presented no evidence, that Vargas waived her rights to contest deportation when she entered the country under the Visa Waiver Program at age 7. She is being detained in LaSalle Detention Facility in Jena, Louisiana.

“Across the country, people of conscience have Dany’s back, and will not stop fighting for her. The courts must take immediate action to release her,” said Greisa Martinez, Advocacy Director of United We Dream.

Vargas, 22, grew up mostly in Mississippi, where she was brought from Argentina in 2001. She benefited from the DACA program from 2012 through 2016. Her work authorization expired last November while she saved for the $495 government filing fee. Her DACA renewal application, submitted in early February, is pending.

“President Trump has tried to use his shock-and-awe approach to scare immigrants back into the margins of society,” said Justin Cox, staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center. “Courageous Dreamers like Dany should give us all hope that Trump’s approach will not be successful. Dany spoke out to defend her family and those like her, and we will use every legal tool at our disposal to ensure that her rights are not violated.”

President Trump’s executive actions have created chaos and panic among immigrant communities. Daniela’s situation shows that even DACA recipients are at risk of being detained and deported to countries they don’t recognize as home.

“Daniela is an accomplished young woman who grew up in the United States and has devoted her time and efforts to her studies, her family, and her work,” said Abigail Peterson, Vargas’s immigration attorney. “ICE’s decision to pursue and apprehend Daniela following several news stories in which she spoke out about ICE enforcement evidences a clear abuse of discretion. We hope to soon secure the release of Daniela and remind everyone that ICE’s broadened enforcement authority will not curtail fundamental human rights.”

The petition for writ of habeas corpus is available at www.nilc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/D-Vargas-Habeas-Petition-2017-03-06.pdf.

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The National Immigration Law Center is exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their families. Our mission is grounded in the belief that every American—and aspiring American—should have the opportunity to fulfill their full potential regardless of where they were born or how much money they have. Using our deep expertise in a wide range of issues that affect low-income immigrants’ lives, we work with communities in courtrooms and legislatures to help advance policies that create a more just and equitable society for everyone.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Alabama with offices in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. For more information, see www.splcenter.org.

NILC Statement on New Muslim Ban Executive Order

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2017

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, [email protected], 213-375-3149

NILC Statement on New Muslim Ban Executive Order

LOS ANGELES — President Donald Trump today signed a new executive order banning entry to the U.S. of individuals from six Muslim-majority countries and of all refugees. The order is meant to supplant a previous directive issued in January that remains blocked after several courts found it was unlikely to stand up to constitutional muster. That order barred entry from seven Muslim-majority countries and also halted resettlement in the U.S. of any new refugees.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“Throughout the presidential campaign and even after the signing of the previous executive order banning Muslims and refugees, President Trump and the people who helped him write that order made their discriminatory intentions clear. No amount of ‘tweaks’ will change that. Americans should be outraged by this blatant attempt to rebrand codified religious discrimination and xenophobia. This is nothing more than Muslim Ban 2.0.

“Trump’s Muslim and refugee ban remains fundamentally flawed. Our message to the Trump administration, both then and now, is this: We will see you in court.”

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NILC Statement on the President’s First Address to Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2017

CONTACT
Adela de la Torre, [email protected], 213-400-7822

NILC Statement on the President’s First Address to Congress

WASHINGTON — In President Donald Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress this evening, he sketched out his policy agenda for the coming year. Included in his list of policy priorities was mention of a need to come to some sort of compromise on immigration. This policy proposal comes mere weeks after the Trump administration released several executive orders that created chaos at airports and spread fear among immigrant communities. Below is a statement from Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director for the National Immigration Law Center:

“Actions speak louder than words. Trump has spent nearly two years bashing immigrants and Muslims, using this xenophobic, racist rhetoric to gain votes. His actions since taking office have followed the same path of criminalization, disenfranchisement, and deportation for people of color. If Trump is truly serious about coming to some sort of compromise on immigration, he should start by rescinding the executive orders that make it easier to criminalize and deport the very people he purports to defend.

“Our communities have been subject to unconstitutional bans, appalling treatment at the hands of immigration enforcement, and a surge in hate crimes. We will continue to use every legal and advocacy tool necessary to fight for our communities. Stray sentences in prepared remarks are of little comfort to the children of those already deported under the Trump administration.”

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NILC Announces New Deputy Director Reshma Shamasunder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2017

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, [email protected], 213-375-3149

NILC Announces New Deputy Director Reshma Shamasunder

LOS ANGELES — The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is excited to welcome Reshma Shamasunder, a longtime champion for immigrants’ rights, as its new Deputy Director, Programs.

In this role, Shamasunder will oversee the organization’s legal, policy and advocacy, and communications strategies. She will also serve as a key member of NILC’s Senior Leadership Team.

“The National Immigration Law Center is and has been a leading advocate for low-income immigrants and their families for many years,” Shamasunder said. “In these challenging times, NILC’s role in fighting back against a xenophobic and nativist-driven agenda is crucial. I am humbled to take on a leadership role in these efforts at a time when they are more important than ever. I intend to take on my new role with the seriousness and passion this moment warrants.”

Prior to joining NILC, Shamasunder played a key role in state-level campaigns in California that benefit low-income, immigrant, and vulnerable communities. For 12 years she served as the executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), helping to spearhead important policy wins, including placing limits on cooperation between local law enforcement and immigration authorities, preserving important health and human services programs, providing access to driver’s licenses for all Californians, and furthering important immigrant integration efforts. Under Shamasunder’s leadership, CIPC became a vibrant statewide organization that now not only helps shape California’s most inclusive policies, but also helps to build the capacity of nascent immigrants’ rights organizations and coalitions throughout California.

Shamasunder also served on the boards of Health Access California and the South Asian Network in Los Angeles, and was an inaugural fellow of the Rockwood Fellowship for a New California, a leadership program for California’s immigrant rights leaders. Shamasunder most recently received Families USA’s Health Equity Advocate Award. Last year she received a NILC Courageous Luminaries Award.

“I am thrilled to have Reshma join NILC’s leadership. For more than a decade she has helped transform the lives of countless California families, and she is poised to help us do the same across the country,” said NILC Executive Director Marielena Hincapié. “Her many years of service to immigrant communities will be a tremendous asset as we advance our mission of ensuring that all people, regardless of where they were born or their income, have access to opportunities that have helped generations of new Americans thrive and contribute to our communities. We are incredibly proud and grateful to welcome Reshma to our team.”

Shamasunder is the daughter of Indian immigrants and was raised in California’s Mojave Desert. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA and a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She will start in her new role at NILC on March 1 and will be based in NILC’s Los Angeles headquarters.

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DHS Memos Lay Out Mass Deportation Blueprint

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2017

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, [email protected], 213-375-3149

DHS Memos Lay Out Mass Deportation Blueprint

LOS ANGELES — The Trump administration today released documents laying out a plan for radical changes to immigration enforcement. The documents set into policy draconian and expensive measures outlined in President Trump’s immigration executive orders, including mandatory detention, rushed court proceedings, and a rollback in protections for unaccompanied children apprehended at the border.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“The Trump administration has created a blueprint for mass deportation like we’ve never seen. Today’s memos are breathtaking in scope, undoing decades of guidance and best practice intended to help protect vulnerable populations. If unhindered, they will wreak havoc on our economy, our communities, and our families.

“President Trump is governing by fear and not by what is best for the American people. As we have seen in the past few weeks, the consistency and uniformity required to have rule of law has gone out the window. Longtime community members and members of well-established families are being detained and deported. Everyone is now a priority for immigration enforcement.

“Our country is better than this, and better judgment will ultimately prevail, but this is a dangerous time that requires us all to fight back against these policies. We are committed to ensuring immigrants are well-informed about their constitutional rights so that they can make empowered decisions. Every single immigrant needs to have a safety plan in place. We are determined to do everything necessary to ensure that these policies don’t get implemented.”

Information about immigration enforcement–related rights is available at www.nilc.org/KnowYourRights (www.nilc.org/ConozcaSusDerechos) and www.nilc.org/know-your-rights/.

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Statement on Leaked DHS Memo Proposing National Guard Mobilization for Immigration Enforcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2017

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, [email protected], 213-375-3149

Statement on Leaked DHS Memo Proposing National Guard Mobilization for Immigration Enforcement

WASHINGTON — Media reports on Friday revealed that the Trump administration may be considering draconian and expensive immigration enforcement measures, including mandatory detention, rushed court proceedings, a rollback in protections for unaccompanied children apprehended at the border, construction of new detention facilities and a border wall, and the enlisting of National Guard troops as immigration enforcement agents.

Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“For a month now the Trump administration has terrorized our communities with a chaotic and inhumane reimaging of our immigration system. The Muslim ban rollout, widespread raids, and the arrests of a domestic violence survivor and immigrant youth have created a climate of fear in our communities like never before. We don’t need to see the implementation of this leaked memo to understand the xenophobic and nativist vision driving the administration’s immigration policies.

“The leaked memo contemplates a virtual police state for millions of Americans. It would entail an unprecedented, legally dubious expansion of a failed program, 287g, that federal courts have found sets the groundwork for racial profiling. And it would roll back legal protections and deny due process and other civil rights to people seeking refuge from violence and extreme poverty.

“That the administration would even consider such reprehensible measures is unacceptable, and it will certainly continue to stoke fear in our immigrant communities until DHS Secretary John Kelly provides clarity. We call on Kelly to immediately and categorically disavow the contents of this leaked memo.”

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Statement on Reported Detention of DACA Recipient

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2017

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, [email protected], 213-375-3149

Statement on Reported Detention of DACA Recipient

WASHINGTON — Media reports on Tuesday made public the case of Daniel Ramirez Medina, a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at his home in Seattle, Wash., last week.

DACA, announced by the Obama administration in 2012, allows immigrant youth who were brought to the U.S. as children to live and work here temporarily if they meet certain requirements and pay a fee. President Donald Trump has not made clear what he intends to do with the program, but there have been no announced changes to DACA to date.

Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“This is part of the chaos created by the Trump administration’s recent actions undoing guidelines intended to provide clarity to field agents. The people ICE calls ‘collateral’ are in fact integral members of our communities.

“People like Daniel came forward, submitted applications, passed background checks, and earned work authorization and a temporary reprieve from deportation. To detain him now isn’t just senseless, it’s cruel. President Trump and his Republican enablers in Congress have created a climate of fear in immigrant communities. Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly must take the reins and end the chaos now.”

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NILC Statement on the Confirmation of Tom Price to Head HHS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2017

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, [email protected], 213-375-3149

NILC Statement on the Confirmation of Tom Price to Head HHS

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Senate today voted to confirm Rep. Tom Price of Georgia as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“Rep. Tom Price for years has led a hyperpartisan attack on the Affordable Care Act and other federal programs that have been essential in expanding access to affordable health care to millions of Americans. Along with his fellow Republicans, Price has failed to come up with an acceptable alternative, instead advocating for policies that would undermine protections for those most in need. It is disheartening that Price will now oversee the very programs he has worked to undo.”

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NILC Statement on the Confirmation of Sen. Jeff Sessions as Attorney General

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2017

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, [email protected], 213-375-3149

NILC Statement on the Confirmation of Sen. Jeff Sessions as Attorney General

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate today voted to confirm Alabama senator Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general, the top post in the Department of Justice.

Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“The attorney general is the people’s lawyer. As the head of the principal arm of our government charged with protecting our rights and civil liberties, anyone taking on this role must decisively stand up to those who would attempt to undermine them.

“Sadly, given his track record of systematically marginalizing already disenfranchised communities, we are not confident that Sessions will live up to this high standard. The National Immigration Law Center will be watching closely, and we will not hesitate to hold Sessions accountable for any misstep in his running of the Justice Department.”

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