Ending the devastation caused by the Obama Administration's 287G program

>From: Roberto Lovato
>
>Groups across the country are mobilizing to put pressure on Department
>of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and President Obama to
>end the devastation caused by the Obama Administration's 287G program.
>
>Denounced by l(some) police chiefs, several government officials and
>many, many community groups, 287G is the program that allows local and
>state law enforcement officials act as enforcers of federal
>immigration law and provides the legal means for the racial profiling,
>mass and arrests and other violations of the most basic civil and
>human rights. The program enables the widespread and illegal practices
>of notorious Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
>
>Join the increasing numbers of Latinos, civil and immigrant rights
>groups and others who are growing impatient about what they consider
>the hypocrisy and duplicity of President Obama with regard to racial
>profiling. In light of the massive amount of racial profiling taking
>place under his recently expanded 287G program-a program Obama and
>Napolitano recently expanded- many find lees-than-credible President
>Obama's statements concern about how the recent arrest Professor
>Louis Gates reflects "a long history in this country of
>African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement
>disproportionately."
>
>Please stay tuned as activists are asking groups and individuals to
>undertake several actions including:
>
>
>For Immediate Release // Excuse Cross Postings // Please Forward
>
>Contact (Engish y Español): Loyda Alvarado, (323) 434- 8115
>What: Press Conference, Rally, and Demonstration
>Why: To Urge Bill Maher to Ask Secretary Napolitano about DHS
>Racial Profiling Practices, 287(g), Joe Arpaio
>Where: 7800 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA (Near corner of Beverly
>and Fairfax)
>When: Friday, July 24, 2009
>Time: 5:30 to 7 pm

>(Los Angeles) Immigrant, civil, and labor rights advocates will hold
>a rally and press conference outside the taping of Real Time with Bill
>Maher on Friday at 5:30 pm. Protestors will urge Mr. Maher to ask
>tough questions of DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano about her
>relationship with the notorious Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio.

> Specifically, Secretary Napolitano should be asked why DHS has not
>severed its contract with Arpaio (Napolitano's hometown sheriff), and
>why DHS opted last week to expand a failed experimental Bush
>immigration enforcement policy that has demonstrably resulted in mass
>racial profiling.

>During his press conference yesterday, President Obama used very
>strong language to denounce racial profiling practices by local
>police. However, last week week, Department of Homeland Security
>Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the expansion of the
>widely-criticized 287(g) program, which outsources federal
>immigration enforcement authority to local sheriffs. In recent
>years, Joe Arpaio has become a symbol of the program's failure, as his
>use of 287g has resulted widespread allegations of racial profiling.
>The Department of Justice recently launched a high-profile
>investigation of Arpaio's practices. Indeed, Sheriff Arpaio's
>relationship with neo-nazi's has been noted by Phoenix Mayor Phil
>Gordon; Arpaio himself has said it's an honor to be called KKK; and he
>has even posed for photos with high-profile neo-nazi's. The New
>York Times has published several editorials calling for the
>termination of the 287(g) program in general and Arpaio's contract in
>particular. Those editorials are available here, here, here, and
>most recently, here.

>Salvador Reza, a community leader in Phoenix, issued the following
>statement: "Secretary Napolitano has the legal authority and the
>moral obligation to end Arpaio's reign of terror in her hometown of
>Phoenix. Instead, she is expanding the 287(g) program and intends to
>make the country look like Maricopa County. We hope Bill Maher has
>the courage to ask hard questions of Secretary Napolitano."
>###