Across the country, protests have been calling for the Obama Administration to end a controversial immigration deportation program known as Secure Communities. It’s aimed at targeting criminal undocumented immigrants. But activists say non-criminals are getting caught up in the program. Now, a lawsuit has been filed challenging the constitutionality of DHS’s use of immigration detainers, which instruct police to continue to detain individuals after the local police’s authority has expired until DHS officers arrive to take the individuals into custody. Maria Hinojosa speaks to Mony Ruiz-Velasco, director of legal services at the National Immigrant Justice Center of the Heartland Alliance.
NIJC has a new Chicago address at 111 W. Jackson Blvd, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60604 and a new email domain at @immigrantjustice.org.