Movement Pushing Back on Arizona-style Laws Gains Momentum

Yesterday, D.C. City Council made an important decision to limit collaboration between local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The council  signed the legislation, Bill19-585, on the heels of California’s Trust Act, preventing the overreach of immigration detainers in local jails and counteracting flawed deportation programs such as S-Comm.  These bills couldn’t come at a better time, marking the beginning of a national week of action to launch the Restoring Trust campaign, which seeks to promote local alternatives to counteract Arizona-style immigration laws and draconian federal deportation programs.

As part of the Restoring Trust launch, advocates from more than a dozen cities are meeting with officials, holding vigils, conducting surveys, and rallying to turn the tide on Arizona-style immigration enforcement measures.  These actions build on a growing movement in favor of progressive policy solutions , like those already in place in Santa Clara County, Cook County, Taos, MN, New York City, Connecticut,  and now D.C. and the State of California.

The news of the developments in D.C. and California and the Restoring Trust Campaign are exciting and demonstrate real opportunities to counter those trying to divide the working class.  The fact that the Koch brothers and ALEC were behind the racial profiling laws in Arizona and the union-busting legislation in Wisconsin, demonstrates the divisiveness of the opponents to the rights of working people.  But this week, even in the face of such attacks, I am hopeful of the power of communities to come together to find progressive solutions for workers and their rights.

Make sure to check out the Restoring Trust campaign site to check out all of the great things going on this week.