Friday, October 19, 2012

ICE Holds to be Challenged



“It’s important that people realize that this could happen to anyone. It’s not just undocumented immigrants. I’m lucky that I can get out and be heard — many of the people I met in there can’t.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California is taking on a case to help folks who have been held in held in jails for extended periods of time because of ICE holds placed on them.

"Six people have brought a landmark class-action lawsuit against Sheriff Baca and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) on grounds they are or were illegally detained in the jails and stations of Los Angeles County Jail for days, weeks, or months after they were entitled to be released because they are the subject of “immigration holds.” Immigration holds, sometimes called “immigration detainers,” are notices issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requesting that an individual in local custody be held pending further action. Unlike warrants, they are issued without any judicial determination of probable cause, and they are frequently issued in error."

Duncan Roy is one of the folks suing the LASD because he was held for 3 months and denied bail, despite being authorized to be in the country. This is the kind of shit that happens to immigrants on a daily basis, not just here in Los Angeles, but all over the US. Duncan himself talks about the unequivocal differences in his ability to have be bailed out because he was in the US with a permit versus folks who are undocumented and can't afford to post bail.

This isn't the first time something like this happens either, citizens have been deported because of policies like Secure Communities. And even though this law suit is going to put the spot light on immigrants being denied bail because of ICE holds, it'll never be enough until these kind of policies are terminated.