Action Alert! Stop "Secure Communities"!

Every now and then, a local issue comes up which, despite not directly having to do with the main topic of this blog, is so important that it feels imperative to publicize it. So is the case with now: the Department of Homeland Security is trying to force Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to sign a "Memorandum of Agreement" to implement DHS's "Secure Communities" program in Colorado. The Orwellian-named "Secure Communities" is really a repressive program which will allow the governement to further intrude into our lives and further terrorize those of us who come from immigrant communities. Below is an action alert calling on everyone to call Governor Ritter and encourage him NOT to sign "Secure Communities."

ACTION ALERT

Governor Ritter is considering signing Colorado onto "Secure Communities", a dangerous collaboration program between ICE and the state which will hurt our communities and create greater fear of law enforcement.

"Secure Communities" is a program that allows state and local police to check the fingerprints of an individual they are booking into a jail against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration databases. If there is a "hit" in an immigration database, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified, even if the person has not been convicted of any criminal act.

CALL GOVERNOR RITTER TODAY and every day this week @ (303) 866-2471

STOP Secure Communities NOW!
It makes us all UNSAFE.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

YOU could say: I do NOT agree with Secure Communities. I am calling asking Governor Ritter NOT to sign onto Secure Communities.

Background:

Governor Bill Ritter is considering signing onto a program called Secure Communities by July 19.

We have many concerns about this program:

- That it will negatively impact trust between the police and community making us all less safe.

- Unlike SB 90, a bill passed in 2006 in Colorado, Secure Communities does not exclude wrongfully arrested victims or witnesses of crime from being reported to ICE.

- While the state of Colorado can terminate the Secure Communities agreement at any time, Local jurisdictions (such as Denver, Fort Collins, Arapahoe County, etc) have no clear way of opting out of, or withdrawing from, the program if without possibly being in violation of this agreement.

- Cost and impact data from other states has not been tracked by ICE nor shared with the State of Colorado.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

Please CALL GOVERNOR RITTER TODAY and every day this week @ (303) 866-2471

YOU could say: I do NOT agree with Secure Communities. I am calling to ask Governor Ritter NOT to sign onto Secure Communities.

See the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition Resource on Problems with Secure Communities for more information.