For Immediate Release: March 6, 2018
Contact: Jareyah Bradley, jareyah@balestramedia.com, (908) 242-4822
Available for Comment: California Immigration Experts on Tomorrow’s “Major” Sanctuary Policy Announcement by Attorney General Sessions
Immigrant Legal Resource Center Able to Discuss Support for Sanctuary Cities, Impact on Communities
According to a Department of Justice news release, Attorney General Jeff Sessions will make a “major sanctuary jurisdiction announcement” during his visit to Sacramento tomorrow, Wednesday March 7, at the 26th Annual Law Enforcement Legislative Day. The event is scheduled for 8am PST and hosted by the California Peace Officers’ Association, a group that opposed Senate Bill 54 which pulled back California's involvement in deportations.
Experts at the San Francisco-based Immigration Legal Resource Center are available to discuss the importance of sanctuary policies in California and across the nation, the court rulings affirming the voluntary option of localities to assist in federal enforcement efforts, and the rise of stronger sanctuary policies since President Trump took office.
The following experts from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center are available for interviews:
- Grisel Ruiz: Staff Attorney who leads ILRC’s state legislative work
- Krsna Avila: Andy Grove Immigrants’ Rights Fellow and co-author of ILRC’s report on sanctuary cities
- Angie Junck: Supervising Attorney who oversees several of ILRC’s programs, with a focus on the intersection of the immigration and criminal legal systems
ILRC’s recently released report “The Rise of Sanctuary: Getting Local Law Enforcement out of the Business of Deportation” documents the significant rise of sanctuary protections across 410 localities and the five new statewide policies enacted in 2017, restricting the use of their agencies’ time, money, or other resources from being spent on immigration enforcement or helping ICE. The ILRC helped draft language for SB 54, also known as the California Values Act, and supported its final passage to reduce the influence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the state and disentangle local law enforcement officers from federal deportation efforts.
While California passed the most comprehensive state law, limiting involvement in immigration enforcement throughout the state, Illinois and Oregon also passed legislation banning all detention on ICE holds and restricting any inquiry into immigration status, respectively. In addition, the governors of New York and Washington directed all state-level agencies not to ask about immigration status in carrying out their duties, unless otherwise required by law in order to perform the service.
Related resources from the ILRC:
Report: “The Rise of Sanctuary”: Analysis of the most common types of sanctuary policies, the prevalence of these policies in 2017, court rulings limiting the role of local law enforcement in deportations and the policy tools available to states, cities and municipalities to protect immigrant residents.
Map: County Policies on Assisting Immigration Enforcement in 2017 - Interactive map showing the degree to which local law enforcement offer assistance to federal immigration authorities, as well as the degree to which localities have enacted laws or policies limiting their involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
Brief: Sessions’ Memo Interpreting Trump’s Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities - Short explainer on Sessions' interpretation of President Trump’s Executive Order on immigration enforcement, federal grants that are affected by the Order and key takeaways. A FAQ on the Executive Order can be found at: http://bit.ly/2oM8wG6.
For interviews with attorneys and experts at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, please contact Jareyah Bradley at jareyah@balestramedia.com or (908) 242-4822.
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The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, and policymakers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC’s mission is to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities. www.ilrc.org