Immigrants’ Advocates Not Letting Up on Obama
The federal immigration program that allows local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws is becoming a thorn in the side of the Obama
Jul 31, 2020221.9K Shares5.9M Views
The federal immigration program that allows local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration lawsis becoming a thorn in the side of the Obama administration.
It’s part of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s tough-on-illegal immigrants strategy, and it wins President Obama points from conservatives who fear he’ll go soft on “illegals”. But the abuse of immigrants by local sheriffs like Joe Arpaio in Arizona have outraged immigrant advocacy groups, while even major law enforcement organizations oppose saddling local cops with federal law enforcement responsibilitiesthat often undermine police forces’ ability to do their jobs.
Stepping up the pressure, on Tuesday, 521 different civil rights and advocacy organizations sent a letterto President Obama urging him to immediately terminate the program, known as 287(g) after the section of the immigration law that authorizes it.
Capitalizing on the President’s recent remarks acknowledging a history of racial profilingin the United States in connection with the arrest of his friend, Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., the letter reads in part:
“„We applaud your recent remarks acknowledging, that “there is a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately.” However, DHS’s continued use of the 287(g) program exacerbates exactly this type of racial profiling. In light of well-documented evidence that local law enforcement agencies are using 287(g) powers to justify and intensify racial profiling, Secretary Napolitano’s July 10, 2009 announcement that DHS has expanded the 287(g) program to include 11 new jurisdictions is deeply alarming.
The letter comes on the heels of a recent admissionby President Obama that he’s not likely to get an immigration reform bill passed this year, though he’d promised Latino groups he’d make that a prioritywhen he was running for office.
Immigration experts saythe continued crackdown on enforcement without providing an opportunity for legalization of otherwise law-abiding immigrants could dampen Latino voters’ initial enthusiasm for Obama, as well as for other Democrats in the next round of elections.
Dexter Cooke
Reviewer
Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide.
He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations.
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all.
Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
Latest Articles
Popular Articles