Sunday, March 30, 2008
Suffern's 287(g) program: FAQs
Below is the link to an excellent blog entry by Leah Rae of Beyond Borders (A blog about immigration in the new york region). Please check it out.
Results of the Public Forum
Hundreds of people showed up at Suffern's Village Town Hall to discuss the 287G issue. A remarkable turnout of Latinos, merchants, and active citizens were there to present their point of view regarding SECTION 287G coming to Suffern. It was remarkable to see a community of active citizens exercising their right to be heard in a public forum.
The Mayor set the tone with a quick interpretation of 287G and why the Village was bringing it to Suffern. Due to the over capacity crowd, the Mayor offered everyone who wanted to speak, 2 minutes of mic time. Opinions were offered by high schoolers, clergy, small business owners, political leaders, immigration leaders, immigrants and others.
Since this was the type of meeting format that could not support a deep discussion into the impact of 287G (good or bad), it was key to letting the community get their views on the record. It was also important for everyone to finally put faces to the names, and to understand who was taking what position and why.
Community Power submitted a folder containing over a month and a half of compelling research and case study pertaining to 287G and the negative impact it will have on Suffern (Financially, Legally, Socially). We appreciate the Mayor understanding that continued dialog and building bridges is what Community Power represents around this issue of SECTION 287G. He has offered to meet with Community Power in private to discuss in more detail our findings and to receive direct feedback from the community.
Thank you for everyone who pulled together and organized the huge turnout of Community Power participants, and for those who supplied all of the food and refreshment at the after event at Tagaste Monastery. It was a very successful night, and most importantly, it is a great beginning.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Community Power - Who R We?
We believe that: education + communication + the unique skill that each individual contributes to any collective solution is the path to building great public policy amongst active citizens, religious institutions, business/merchants, and government.
Our "hot topic" that we are discussing is regarding the installation of SECTION 287(g) into the Village of Suffern Police Department. Originally, our meeting with the Mayor was a private meeting (per his request). However, do to an amazing response to this issue, he has requested to open it up to public forum.
This discussion will focus on understanding why the Village of Suffern is considering engagement with the Federal Government's Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), through Memorandum of Agreement, to deploy SECTION 287(g) inside our local police department. As an open forum and meeting, you will have the opportunity to express your opinions on SECTION 287(g).
Community Power gladly invites EVERYONE to the PUBLIC FORUM with the Mayor of Suffern and Chief Osborn on Thursday - March 27, 2008 at 6PM SHARP! Below are the directions:
YOU ARE INVITED to the "After Mayor Meeting: at the Tagaste Monastery where you will be joined by other active citizens to relax, decompress, enjoy some food and refreshments, meet with each other, and compare notes and observances from the preceding public meeting with the Mayor. Here are the directions from the Village Hall to the Tagaste Monastery.
Official Flyer:
Has Anyone Asked Morristown, NJ?
***THIS JUST IN***
MORRIS REJECTS JAIL WING FOR ILLEGALS
Friday, February 22, 2008
By Elizabeth Llorente
The record
Morris County officials have denied a request by Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello to open an unused wing of the county jail to hold immigration violators.
Cresitello says the count's decision, heavily based upon the recommendation of Morris County Sheriff Edward Rochford, dooms his yearlong efforts to win federal approval to deputize Morristown police to enforce immigration laws.
Rochford's report raised concerns over an estimated $1.5 million in start-up costs for housing immigration detainees, and the potential for the jail to become the target of protests and lawsuits by civil rights groups.
"The sheriff did a very thorough report," said Morris County Administrator John Bonanni. "It was the freeholders, and it was accepted."
Cresitello drew national attention when he began his campaign nearly a year ago to deputize police in Morristown. He said illegal immigrants were diminishing the quality of life through such things as loitering and living in overcrowded conditions. His campaign came amid a national trend in which local officials, frustrated by failed efforts in Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform laws, taking it upon themselves to address illegal immigration.
The mayor said officials of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, told him that securing the jail space was crucial to admission into 287G, the program that provides the training and authority to enforce immigration lays.
"If the county doesn't participate, we can't do 287G," Cresitello said. "Our proposal is dead. We wasted our time and substantial amount of legal fees."
County officials said they studied data, consulted with law enforcement officials or other counties and met with ICE authorities before deciding to reject Cresitello's request.
They said they already contact ICE about immigrants who come to their jail because of criminal charges. This enables ICE to begin deportation proceedings before an immigrant tied to a serious crime can post bail and be released. They said they'd need new policies and resources to handle 287G detainees arrested and detained for immigration violations, which are civil, not criminal.
'Illegal immigration is a federal issue." said the jail warden, Frank Corrente, whom Rochford consulted. "The federal government is the one that needs to address the floodgates. I can load up my jail with them, and you're still not fixing anything."
Cresitello was bitterly criticized for imposing the requirement that Morristown secure jail space as part of its 287G application. He said ICE should provide the jail space, and that putting that burden on local officials would discourage others from applying for 2878G.
"If they're serious about enforcing immigration, they need to remove that rule." Cresitello said. "They should accommodate those [287G] prisoners."
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