(San Francisco, CA)—Anti-Black racism is still rampant in the criminal legal system in spite of the guilty verdicts on all counts against Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) will continue to stand in solidarity with Black communities and allies who have come together to fight a justice system that devalues Black lives in this country.
As an immigrant rights advocacy organization, we know that millions of Black immigrants continue to face an unjust criminal legal system deeply rooted in anti-Black racism. Local police, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are branches of the same system. The ILRC is committed to working with Black movement leaders and Black-led grassroots organizations to find solutions that dismantle these racist institutions. We also will continue to demand that local, state and federal resources are directed toward our communities that ensure Black communities can live safely and thrive.
We continue to mourn the death of George Floyd and the other Black people who have been killed by police. Unless there is deep systemic change, this vicious cycle of anti-Black racism will be repeated. The accountability the jury has leveled against Chauvin should not change our focus to dismantle the system.