Victory! We Kept #ICEOutofSCC!

In an historic vote on June 4, 2019, the Board of Supervisors of Santa Clara County voted 5-0 and affirmed our County’s long standing values of not working with ICE and respecting the due process rights of all immigrants. This policy reiterates that our County will not honor detainers or notification questions from ICE, and reaffirms our policy to require judicial warrants for transfers.

As co-chair of Forum for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (FIRE) Coalition, SIREN has been fiercely advocating with local policymakers on the importance for the community to ensure that our County does not work with ICE. Over the course of months culminating with a fearless group rallying on the day of the vote, the community was victorious! We appreciate the leadership of our County Supervisors and urge SIREN’s supporters to join us in expressing our thanks - our communities can feel more secure knowing that our County will not  cooperate with ICE.

¡SI SE PUEDE Y SI SE PUDO!

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¡Victoria! Mantuvimos #ICEOutofSCC (ICE fuera del Condado de Santa Clara!)

En una votación histórica realizada el 4 de junio de 2019, la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Santa Clara votó 5 a 0 y afirmó los valores de largo plazo de nuestro Condado de no trabajar con ICE y respetar los derechos del debido proceso de todos los inmigrantes. Esta póliza reitera que nuestro Condado no cumplirá con las reclamaciones o las preguntas de notificación de ICE, y reafirma nuestra póliza de exigir órdenes judiciales para las transferencias.

Como co-presidente del Foro por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes y la Coalición para el Empoderamiento (FIRE), SIREN ha estado defendiendo ferozmente con políticos locales sobre la importancia para la comunidad de garantizar que nuestro Condado no trabaje con ICE. En el transcurso de los meses que culminaron con un grupo audaz reuniéndose el día de la votación, ¡la comunidad fue victoriosa! Apreciamos el liderazgo de nuestros Supervisores del Condado y urgimos a los partidarios de SIREN a unirse a nosotros para expresar nuestro agradecimiento: nuestras comunidades pueden sentirse más seguras sabiendo que nuestro Condado no cooperará con ICE.

¡SI SE PUEDE Y SI SE PUDO!

Lea el artículo completo aquí.

SIREN Celebrates Community Victory to Keep #ICEOutofSCC // SIREN celebra la victoria comunitaria para mantener #MigraFueradeSCC

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Contact: mediainquiries@siren-bayarea.org; (408) 453-3003

Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN) Celebrates Community Victory to Keep #ICEOutofSCC 

Applauds Santa Clara County for Standing with Immigrant Community

Yesterday, in an historic unanimous vote, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors affirmed our County’s long standing values of not working with ICE and respecting the due process rights of all immigrants. Over the past few months, the County had been considering avenues that allowed cooperation and communication with ICE. As a result of intensive mobilization and advocacy by the immigrant community and allies spearheaded by Forum for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (FIRE) Coalition, co-chaired by SIREN, our elected officials did not expand the ability for the County’s entanglement with ICE. All of the Supervisors voted in favor of a policy proposal presented by County Administration, informed by various stakeholders including the immigrant community. This policy reiterates that our County will not honor detainers or notification questions from ICE and reaffirms our policy to require judicial warrants for transfers.The Board also directed that stakeholders, including immigration experts, be involved in the development of transfer protocols to ensure that the Sheriff and Chief of Corrections abide by judicial warrant standards. 

The following is a statement from Maricela Gutiérrez, Executive Director of SIREN:

“Despite efforts to have our County entangled with ICE, the community has prevailed and we are thrilled by yesterday’s historic unanimous vote. The community made its voice heard loud and clear that Santa Clara County should not be working hand-in-glove with ICE - particularly under this Administration. The County heard the community’s deep concerns about the increased fear and mistrust that immigrants will have with local government, due process violations that result in notifying ICE when an individual is released from County custody, and the potential liability that it opens up our County to. We appreciate the thoughtful process that the County Executive and County Counsel’s offices went through developing its proposal. And we thank Supervisor Wasserman for introducing the motion to support the proposal and each of the Board members for their votes yesterday reaffirming our longstanding values of standing with the immigrant community. Most importantly, we thank the immigrant community for urging our County to do the Our County has long led in the nation on this and yesterday’s vote makes it abundantly clear that when the community calls for it, we can continue to do so.”

Join us in thanking the County Board of Supervisors for voting to keep #ICEOutofSCC and continuing to have Santa Clara County lead the way for immigrant rights!

Help support our efforts to advance the rights of immigrant and refugee communities by making a donation to SIREN today. Thank you!

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La red de servicios, derechos de los inmigrantes y educación (SIREN) celebra la victoria comunitaria para mantener #MigraFueradeSCC

Aplaude el condado de Santa Clara por estar de pie con la comunidad de inmigrantes

Ayer, en un histórico voto unánime, la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Santa Clara afirmó los valores de larga data de nuestro Condado de no trabajar con la Migra sin respetar los derechos de debido proceso de todos los inmigrantes. En los últimos meses, el Condado había estado considerando vías que permitían la cooperación y la comunicación con ICE. Como resultado de la intensa movilización y defensa por parte de la comunidad de inmigrantes y aliados encabezados por la Coalición del Foro por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes y el Empoderamiento (FIRE), copresidido por SIREN, nuestros funcionarios electos no ampliaron la capacidad para el enredo del Condado con la Migra. Todos los Supervisores votaron a favor de una propuesta de política presentada por la Administración del Condado, informada por varias partes interesadas, incluida la comunidad inmigrante. Esta política reitera que nuestro Condado no cumplirá con los retenidos o las preguntas de notificación de la Migra y reafirma nuestra política de exigir órdenes judiciales para las transferencias. La Junta también ordenó que las partes interesadas, incluidos los expertos en inmigración, participen en el desarrollo de protocolos de transferencia para garantizar que el Sheriff y el Jefe de Correcciones acatan las normas de orden judicial.

La siguiente es una declaración de Maricela Gutiérrez, Directora Ejecutiva de SIREN:

“A pesar de los esfuerzos para que nuestro Condado se enrede con la Migra, la comunidad ha prevalecido y estamos encantados con el histórico voto unánime de ayer. La comunidad hizo que su voz se escuchara fuerte y clara de que el Condado de Santa Clara no debería estar trabajando mano a mano con la Migra, especialmente bajo esta Administración. El Condado escuchó las profundas preocupaciones de la comunidad sobre el mayor temor y desconfianza que tendrán los inmigrantes con el gobierno local, las infracciones al debido proceso que se traducen en una notificación a la Migra cuando una persona es liberada de la custodia del Condado, y la responsabilidad potencial a la que abre nuestro Condado. Apreciamos el proceso reflexivo que el ejecutivo del condado y las oficinas de los abogados del condado llevaron a cabo desarrollando su propuesta. Y le agradecemos al Supervisor Wasserman por presentar la moción para apoyar la propuesta y a cada uno de los miembros de la Junta por sus votos de ayer reafirmando nuestros valores de larga data de estar con la comunidad inmigrante. Y lo que es más importante, agradecemos a la comunidad de inmigrantes por haber instado a nuestro Condado a hacer lo que Nuestro Condado lleva liderando en todo el país a este respecto, y el voto de ayer deja en claro que cuando la comunidad lo solicite, podemos seguir haciéndolo. ”

Ayude a apoyar nuestros esfuerzos para promover los derechos de las comunidades de inmigrantes y refugiados haciendo una donación a SIREN hoy. ¡Gracias!

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SIREN is an immigrant rights organization based in Northern California and the Central Valley. Its mission is to empower low-income immigrants and refugees through community education and organizing, leadership development, policy advocacy, civic engagement and legal services. We believe that all people regardless of legal status or nationality are entitled to essential services, human dignity, basic rights and protections, and access to full participation in society. SIREN co-chairs the Santa Clara County Forum for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (FIRE) Coalition which leads efforts to preserve our County's no ICE collaboration policy.

Maricela Gutiérrez - Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network
http://siren.nationbuilder.com/

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Maricela Gutierrez - Executive Director 
Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network
http://siren.nationbuilder.com/

County officials say ICE, not their policy, to blame for releasing San Jose homicide suspect

SAN JOSE — Santa Clara County officials are firing back at critics who say their policy of not notifying immigration authorities when undocumented immigrants are released from their jails led to the release of a homicide suspect who had nine detention orders issued against him.

Carlos Eduardo Arevalo-Carranza, 24, is suspected of stabbing to death Bambi Larson, 59, in her South San Jose home last month. On Tuesday, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo criticized the county’s policy of “ignoring requests” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement that inmates about to be released be held until they are picked up  by ICE. But county officials said on Wednesday that federal authorities, not they, were to blame for Arevalo-Carranza’s release.

“ICE should’ve gotten a warrant here. They could’ve gotten a warrant here,” said County Counsel James R. Williams, at a press conference late Wednesday afternoon. “And the county’s practice has always been to honor warrants that are issued.”

The disclosure Tuesday that Arevalo-Carranza is in the United States illegally, and that the county jail ignored six requests by immigration authorities to turn him over — Los Angeles County received three other detention requests from ICE — has renewed criticism that “sanctuary” policies allow serious and violent criminals to slip through the cracks.

Police arrested Arevalo-Carranza on Monday in connection to Larson’s killing. Larson’s body was found in her home on Knollfield Way on the afternoon of Feb. 28.

ICE confirmed Tuesday that Arevalo-Carranza entered the United States illegally in 2013 and had been held at jails in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties on a number of prior convictions, including drug charges, burglary and one felony false imprisonment charge in 2016.