Texas Groups Deliver Letter Opposing "Secure Communities" Immigration Enforcement Program to DHS Task Force
August 9, 2011 by Bob Libal
Contact: Bob Libal, Grassroots Leadership, (512) 971-0487, blibal@
For Immediate Release: August 9th, 2011
Travis County Groups Deliver Letter Opposing Controversial Immigration Enforcement Program
Coalition Calls for Halt to Secure Communities Program at Dallas Task Force Hearings
Austin, Texas - A coalition of 18 Travis County civil and human rights groups today will deliver a letter to a Department of Homeland Security Task Force meeting calling for the termination of the controversial immigration enforcement program "Secure Communities." A PDF of the letter is available here. [node:read-more:link]
Humpday Hall of Shame: Arizona's John Kavanagh
August 3, 2011 by Bob Libal
Welcome to The Humpday Hall of Shame - every Wednesday we'll be high-lighting the private prison industry's influence on public policy through campaign contributions, lobbying, and the revolving door of public and private corrections.
Our inaugural Hall of Shame inductee is Arizona State Representative John Kavanagh. Kavanagh is the Chair of the powerful Arizona House Appropriations Committee and outgoing Chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, which earlier this year approved an RFP for 5,000 new private prison beds in Arizona. Kavanagh also appeared on Arizona Public Television recently debating in favor of privatization.
Video of Notorious Texas Private Prison Auction
August 1, 2011 by Anonymous
SOLD: Five one-story air-conditioned buildings constructed of concrete block with a brick veneer and pitch seamed metal roofs with a capacity of 383 inmates in 5 housing pods, complete with dayrooms and other amenities. The buildings are contained behind a strengthened perimeter of double fences with an electronic shaker detection system and eight video surveillance cameras. Approximately 10 acres are contained within the fence. The facility also has a freestanding gymnasium, maintenance shed, armory and parking lot.
The Billy Clayton Detention Center was sold last week for $6 million to an anonymous buyer in an auction conducted by Williams & Williams Worldwide Real Estate Auction.
[node:read-more:link]Troubled West Texas prison to be auctioned tomorrow
July 27, 2011 by Bob Libal
UPDATE, July 28, 11:50am: the facility was sold apparently for $6 million to an unknown, online bidder. More info as we get it. [node:read-more:link]
Op. Streamline swells Latino representation in federal prison system
July 25, 2011 by Bob Libal
More Latinos are going to prison, and not because they are committing more crimes than they did in the past.
That’s the analysis behind an Associated Press (“More Hispanics go to federal prison,” June 4) article last month. The reason appears to be precisely the subject of this blog: Operation Streamline is driving more Latino immigrants into the criminal justice system and ultimately into federal prisons: [node:read-more:link]
Christian Century continues critical coverage of Op. Streamline in religious press
July 15, 2011 by Bob Libal
Following the money, prison industry contributions to legislators
July 12, 2011 by Anonymous
Judge Bernardo P. Velasco criticizes Operation Streamline, calls policy “maddening” and ineffective
July 6, 2011 by Bob Libal
Last week, the National Catholic Reporter ran an insightful and critical article on the impact of Operation Streamline (“A ‘maddening’ system, from courtrooms to shelters,” July 1st) in Tuscon, Arizona. The article starts with a typical description of the kind of “justice” provided under Streamline: [node:read-more:link]
Should Congress continue to throw even more money at Streamline?
May 24, 2011 by Bob Libal
TRAC numbers confirm shift towards immigration prosecutions
February 13, 2011 by Bob Libal
A newly released report from TRAC shows what this blog has documented since its inception – a massive increase in the use of federal criminal prosecutions for border-crossers in districts along the border. Previous to Operation Streamline, most border-crossers would have been deported, but not criminally prosecuted.
Now, we are seeing record prosecutions for immigration violations while national prosecutions of other felonies have actually declined. According to the report from TRAC: [node:read-more:link]