DC Council Unites Against Arizona-Like Program

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Saying that DC’s “Secure Communities” program actually “makes the public less safe by creating fear and mistrust of the police and undermining community policing,” DC Councilmember Phil Mendelson on Tuesday introduced legislation to prohibit DC police from sharing arrest and booking information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mendelson’s bill – which would prevent implementation of the "Secure Communities" program adopted in the District last fall by DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier -- was supported by all 13 Council members. During the same session on Tuesday, Councilmember Michael Brown (I-At-large) introduced a resolution requesting that the city government and the employee pension fund "divest' from all Arizona state and municipal bonds and ban city workers from traveling to that state on official business. "I can't think of a more horrific action than one taken by Arizona," said Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D). "We are in 2010, not 1810 and we don't need to harken back to the days when racial discrimination was rampant. We need to do everything we can in the District of Columbia because this is the right thing to do." The Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO has been part of a broad coalition opposing Secure Communities, including DC Jobs with Justice, the ACLU-National Capitol Area, the Latino Federation, and the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence.“We will not stand by and watch as our community is targeted," saidJaime Contreras, Area Director for SEIU 32BJ and Chair of the MD/DC SEIU State Council, "This is Washington DC, the capital of freedom. We commend the Council for introducing this bill.” - Mackenzie Baris; photo: District workers and activists rally against the "Secure Communities" program outside the Department of Homeland Security headquarters in October last year; photo by Adam Wright