As Co Chair of DSA’s Immigrants’ Rights Committee I testified on May 29 to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to not renew an existing contract with ICE to use the Sacramento County Jail to hold immigrants. California, and Sacramento, is already a Sanctuary state/county.
On Tuesday, the County Supervisors voted 3-2 to end the contract in opposition to the position of the pro Trump Sherriff and his allies.
Opposition to the use of the jail for immigration holds by ICE developed significantly as a response to the Trump campaign of defamation against our sanctuary policies and the development of the new Trump Administration policy of separating children under 4 years old from their parents upon arrest.
See the post below.
The campaign was an effort of a broad coalition, including DSA.
As the campaign mounted, we received significant local media support. Author Sasha Abramsky compared the work of ICE agents to those prosecuted at Nuremberg after WW II. http://antiracismdsa.blogspot.com/2018/06/will-ice-agents-be-able-to-live-with.html
The local paper which is decidedly moderate on most things, editorialized strongly against continuing the ICE Contract asking, How much is it worth to Sacramento County to stop being part of the Trump administration’s deportation machine?
Below is a brief excerpt of my testimony and the background.
My Name is Dr. Duane Campbell.
I am the Co Chair of the Immigrants’ Rights Committee of Democratic Socialists of America.
This issue before you is one of human decency. Under the Trump Administration ICE has developed a new policy of deliberately separating families of immigrants and refugees. They are separating parents from their children as a form of collective punishment. They are violating both due process and human rights.
Sacramento County should not be a party to this “ foul deportation and family destruction machine. “ We must take a stand. We call upon you to take a stand for justice and humanity, to not collaborate with an evil project.
I urge you to refuse to renew the contract between the County and ICE for the holding of immigrants. “
In the vote we won 3-2.
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