Early Arrival: Court Sides with Trump Over Withholding Sanctuary City Funds
The Trump administration can withhold millions of dollars from law enforcement agencies in states and cities — including New York — that resist assisting the federal government in immigration enforcement, a federal appeals court ruled. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan found that the Trump administration is allowed to impose conditions on the release of the federal funding, which comes in the form of grants. Three other appeals courts previously sided with a lower court’s ruling that it was unlawful for the White House to tie the grant money to cooperation with federal authorities.
Justice Department officials celebrated their victory. “Today’s decision rightfully recognizes the lawful authority of the attorney general to ensure that Department of Justice grant recipients are not at the same time thwarting federal law enforcement priorities,” Alexei Woltornist, a Justice Department spokesman, said. The ruling comes as the Trump administration continues to target New York and New Jersey for both states’ resistance to assisting the federal government’s immigration enforcement efforts.
“President Trump’s latest retaliation against his hometown takes away security funding from the number one terrorist target in America, all because we refuse to play by his arbitrary rules,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City said in a statement. New York City received about $4 million per year through the funding the administration is attempting to withhold. The states involved in the New York case may be able to request a review of the ruling from the full Second Circuit or Supreme Court. The New York Times
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Advocates Sue ICE Over Sanctuary Fines
In the summer of 2019, multiple women living in sanctuary received notice that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was intending to seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines from each of them. Immigrant rights groups sued ICE on Wednesday seeking answers about how and why the Trump administration levied six-figure fines against sanctuary leaders. The notices were abruptly withdrawn after national uproar, but they were re-issued several months later. The lawsuit was filed by Austin Sanctuary Network, Free Migration Project, Grassroots Leadership and the Center for Constitutional Rights in the Southern District of New York. The Haitian Times
Immigrant Rights Groups Sue ICE
NEW YORK – A collective of immigrant rights groups has a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking answers about how the Trump administration decided to target sanctuary leaders with six-figure fines.
In the summer of 2019, a number of high-profile activists in sanctuary—all women who fled persecution in their countries of origin—were notified of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s intent to seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines from each of them.
These notices were abruptly withdrawn, only to be re-issued several months later. The Freedom Of Information Act sought documents concerning this unprecedented spate of civil fines against people who have chosen to take sanctuary while pursuing their legal remedies to remain in the U.S.
“It is so painful to have to continue to endure attacks from ICE when all I want is to be free. These fines couldn’t have been anything other than retaliation for the love and support that I have received from my community here in Austin, TX,” said Hilda Ramirez, an activist and leader of Austin Sanctuary Network who has lived in sanctuary in an Austin, Texas church since 2016. “Behind closed doors, ICE officials have admitted they are targeting me for political reasons, but then they deny it publicly. It is time that ICE tells us exactly why they are targeting me and other women who are in sanctuary,” continued Ramirez. Ramirez was one of a handful of sanctuary leaders who received such an “intent to fine” notice in 2019.
Demandan al gobierno de EEUU por multas millonarias contra indocumentados en ‘santuarios’
Nueva York, Estados Unidos —Una demanda contra el gobierno Trump que busca frenar millonarias multas contra ocho mujeres indocumentadas que se refugiaron en iglesias para no ser deportadas, algunas con sus hijos, fue presentada este miércoles en una corte federal de Nueva York.
La demanda de un puñado de organizaciones de defensa de los inmigrantes, a la cual accedió la AFP, acusa a la policía migratoria (ICE) y al departamento del Tesoro de querer imponer a estas mujeres multas "excesivas" e "inconstitucionales", y exige acceso a información gubernamental al respecto.
"Es muy injusto que esta administración nos esté multando por esta cantidad de dinero que no tenemos. Están buscando la forma de intimidarnos", dijo en una teleconferencia de prensa la mexicana Edith Espinal, refugiada en una iglesia de Columbus, Ohio, desde 2017, quien recibió en el verano boreal una carta del gobierno amenazándola con una multa de casi 500.000 dólares.
Demandan al gobierno de EEUU por multas millonarias contra indocumentados en ‘santuarios’
Nueva York, Estados Unidos —Una demanda contra el gobierno Trump que busca frenar millonarias multas contra ocho mujeres indocumentadas que se refugiaron en iglesias para no ser deportadas, algunas con sus hijos, fue presentada este miércoles en una corte federal de Nueva York.
La demanda de un puñado de organizaciones de defensa de los inmigrantes, a la cual accedió la AFP, acusa a la policía migratoria (ICE) y al departamento del Tesoro de querer imponer a estas mujeres multas "excesivas" e "inconstitucionales", y exige acceso a información gubernamental al respecto.
"Es muy injusto que esta administración nos esté multando por esta cantidad de dinero que no tenemos. Están buscando la forma de intimidarnos", dijo en una teleconferencia de prensa la mexicana Edith Espinal, refugiada en una iglesia de Columbus, Ohio, desde 2017, quien recibió en el verano boreal una carta del gobierno amenazándola con una multa de casi 500.000 dólares.
ICE enfrenta demanda por imponer multas millonarias a ocho mujeres migrantes
Una demanda contra el gobierno Trump que busca frenar millonarias multas contra ocho mujeres indocumentadas que se refugiaron en iglesias para no ser deportadas, algunas con sus hijos, fue presentada este miércoles en una corte federal de Nueva York. La demanda de un puñado de organizaciones de defensa de los inmigrantes, a la cual accedió la AFP, acusa a la policía migratoria (ICE) y al departamento del Tesoro de querer imponer a estas mujeres multas “excesivas” e “inconstitucionales”, y exige acceso a información gubernamental al respecto. “Es muy injusto que esta administración nos esté multando por esta cantidad de dinero que no tenemos. Están buscando la forma de intimidarnos”, dijo en una teleconferencia de prensa la mexicana Edith Espinal, refugiada en una iglesia de Columbus, Ohio, desde 2017, quien recibió en el verano boreal una carta del gobierno amenazándola con una multa de casi 500,000 dólares. Las notificaciones fueron retiradas sin explicación, pero se volvieron a emitir varios meses después.
Immigrant Rights Groups Sue ICE for Immediate Release of Information Concerning the Continuing Retaliation Against Immigrants in Sanctuary
February 26, 2020, NEW YORK — Amid a week of action lead by a collective of immigrants taking sanctuary across the U.S., Austin Sanctuary Network, Free Migration Project, Grassroots Leadership, and the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking answers about how the Trump administration decided to target sanctuary leaders with six-figure fines.
In the summer of 2019, a number of high-profile activists in sanctuary —all women who fled persecution in their countries of origin— were notified of ICE’s intent to seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines from each of them. These notices were abruptly withdrawn, only to be re-issued several months later. The FOIA sought documents concerning this unprecedented spate of civil fines against people who have chosen to take sanctuary while pursuing their legal remedies to remain in the U.S.
“It is so painful to have to continue to endure attacks from ICE when all I want is to be free. These fines couldn’t have been anything other than retaliation for the love and support that I have received from my community here in Austin, TX,” said Hilda Ramirez, an activist and leader of Austin Sanctuary Network who has lived in sanctuary in an Austin, Texas church since 2016. “Behind closed doors, ICE officials have admitted they are targeting me for political reasons, but then they deny it publicly. It is time that ICE tells us exactly why they are targeting me and other women who are in sanctuary,” continued Ramirez. Ramirez was one of a handful of sanctuary leaders who received such an “intent to fine” notice in 2019.
Mujeres indocumentadas demandan a gobierno de EU
Nueva York. Una demanda contra el gobierno de Trump que busca frenar millonarias multas contra ocho mujeres indocumentadas que se refugiaron en iglesias para no ser deportadas, algunas con sus hijos, fue presentada este miércoles en una corte federal de Nueva York.
La demanda de un puñado de organizaciones de defensa de los inmigrantes acusa al Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE) y al departamento del Tesoro de querer imponer a estas mujeres multas “excesivas” e “inconstitucionales”, y exige acceso a información gubernamental al respecto
“Es muy injusto que esta administración nos esté multando por esta cantidad de dinero que no tenemos. Están buscando la forma de intimidarnos”, dijo en una teleconferencia de prensa la mexicana Edith Espinal, refugiada en una iglesia de Columbus, Ohio, desde el 2017, quien recibió en el verano boreal una carta del gobierno amenazándola con una multa de casi 500,000 dólares.
Advocates Sue ICE for Targeting Sanctuary Leaders With Retaliatory Fines
Immigrant rights groups don’t want the Trump administration to continue targeting sanctuary activists—all of whom are women—with excessive, six-figure fines. Austin Sanctuary Network (ASN), Free Migration Project (FMP), Grassroots Leadership and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a lawsuit on February 26 against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), the U.S. Department of the Treasury (DOT), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in the Southern District of New York, according to a group emailed statement from the organizations.
Advocates are demanding access to documents outlining how and why the government is imposing outrageous fees on activists, especially because they appear to be retaliatory in nature, says the emailed statement. “The need for this information is extremely urgent, as massive fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars have been levied against several women in sanctuary who have spoken out against these fines and U.S. immigration policy,” CCR said in another statement posted in their web site.
Study finds stark racial disparities for low-level drug offenses in Travis County, Texas
A coalition of criminal justice reform groups has found significant racial disparities in arrests and incarceration rates for people in possession of a gram or less of controlled substances in Travis County, Texas. A new report on the findings comes as the county’s largest police department, in Austin, faces accusations of institutional racism and overzealous policing of people for drug use, even in cases where both the City Council and the county prosecutor have said they will not prosecute.
The report, released Tuesday by four Texas-based organizations, shows a sharp uptick in the overall number of drug arrests across the county. “Between 2013 and 2017, the number of low-level Possession of a Controlled Substance (POCS) cases in Travis County increased by 43 percent,” while the county’s courts experienced a 67 percent increase in new felony drug possession cases, the report states. Travis County stands out from the rest of the state, with an increase in drug possession cases that was 2.5 times higher than other Texas courts.
What Kim Ogg gets wrong about work, poverty, and crime
At a community conversation held in Houston’s Third Ward last summer, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said she wants to send a message: “Put down your gun and pick up an employment application.” The video received hundreds of comments after activist Shaun King posted it on Facebook. Many responses focused on how her remarks seemed tone deaf from a prosecutor who was elected to bring fairness and equity to Harris County’s criminal legal system.
“The idea of just putting the guns down and picking up a job application sounds innocent, but it’s one of the long-living white supremacist ideas that completely ignores the many barriers put in place for POC [people of color], especially those with backgrounds that her office unnecessarily charges,” Monique Joseph, a field organizer with Texas Advocates for Justice, told The Appeal in a text message. ”Her comment is ultimately condescending and feeds into the stereotype that Black men don’t want to work and, therefore, deserve to be treated harshly by the system.”
Travis County told to ‘do better’ and invest in drug treatment over arrests, report says
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Authorities must take a different approach towards addressing drug use in Travis County, according to the authors of a newly released report.
Earlier this month, the four criminal justice groups involved in a study into drug possession arrests revealed some of their findings.
They found that black residents of Travis County are disproportionately harmed – despite making up just 9% of the population, black people accounted for 29.4% of drug possession arrests between June 2017 and May 2018.
Now, the four organizations involved in the study – the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, Grassroots Leadership, and the Civil Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law – have released the full report.
Of the arrests analyzed, about half arose from motor vehicle stops, typically for minor traffic violations.
Low-Level Drug Possession Arrests Are Hurting Travis County, Report Finds
Low-level drug possession arrests are ineffective and harmful to people who need community-based help, rather than jail time, a new report concludes.
The report, released Tuesday by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Grassroots Leadership, the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance and the UT Law Civil Rights Clinic, analyzed Travis County data that found people of color are disproportionately arrested for these kinds of crimes.
Though black people made up less than 9% of Travis County's population between 2017-2018, for example, they accounted for almost 30% of possession arrests made during that time.
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Racial Disparities in Drug Arrests: The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, Grassroots Leadership, and UT Law Civil Rights Clinic have released preliminary key findings of a new report highlighting racial disparities in low-level drug possession arrests in Travis County. Analyzing less-than-a-gram drug possession arrests in a one-year period, findings revealed Black residents represented 29.4% of the arrests studied while only comprising less than 9% of the county's population. In arrests involving Latinx individuals, 57% originated from motor vehicle stops. For Black motorists, that number was 44%. The report will be published in full later this month.
Will New Policy Reduce the Burden of Cash Bail?
As we reported Feb. 7, last week the seven judges of the Travis County misdemeanor criminal courts issued a "Standing Order" to officially expand the use of "personal recognizance bonds" for people arrested in the county. In principle, the order ("effective immediately") would authorize those accused of most nonviolent offenses to be released on personal bonds (i.e., without cash bail). Personal bonds are essentially a written promise to return for court appointments or face sanctions for noncompliance. ("Travis Judges Loosen Misdemeanor Bond Requirements," Feb. 7).
On Tuesday, the county's Justice Planning staff, District Attorney Margaret Moore, County Attorney David Escamilla, and others briefed the Commissioners Court on the background and details of the new policy – still a work in progress, in development over several years and relying on jail population research by county staff. Currently, an arrested person appears before a city magistrate following a case and risk assessment by the county Pretrial Services staff. In Travis County, most people accused of misdemeanors (about 71%) are already released on personal bonds. It's not immediately clear how many more may be eligible under the new policy, but the order sets formal standards for use by magistrates.
Opinion: The War on Drugs Got It Wrong
When I was arrested for my first drug offense, I was 19 years old. The War on Drugs told elected officials that Black people like me were the villains of the story and needed to be locked away in the name of public safety. Along with millions across the country, I was deemed disposable. For the next 20 years, I couldn't find a job or find a place to live in, and I panicked every time I was pulled over for fear that once again that disposable label would be placed on my forehead.
Today I celebrate my life as a partner, parent, son, brother, colleague, and friend in successful recovery from substance use disorder and mental illness. I do not owe my recovery to the criminal justice system; locking me in a cage harmed me and drove me further away from wellness. My recovery was made possible thanks to an amazing support network of friends and family dedicated to my best interests. As a formerly incarcerated Black man with behavioral health diagnoses, my success is a statistical anomaly – but it doesn't have to be. When we stop investing in systems of policing and punishment, we make space to create alternatives that promote wellness and healing for everyone.
Earlier this month, Grassroots Leadership, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, and the UT Law Civil Rights Clinic released a preliminary key findings report. The report finds that – in a city that systematically pushes Black people out of Austin and dwindled the population to just over 9% – Black people constitute over a third of all drug arrests. Half of the arrests resulted from minor traffic stops like driving with an expired registration or failure to signal. Half of possession of controlled substance cases directly related to medical or mental health crises, resulting in jail time of up to two years, delaying or denying the immediate need to respond to medical and mental health needs.
Travis County District Attorney candidates talk about the war on drugs
AUSTIN, Texas — Grassroots Leadership, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and Texas Harm Reduction Alliance held a forum Sunday to educate the community on candidates running for Travis County District Attorney and present questions to them.
The forum specifically addressed the role prosecutors play in promoting public health approaches to drug use, harm reduction and pre-arrest diversion programs.
District Attorney Margaret Moore, Workers Defense co-director Jose Garza and attorney Erin Martinson were all in attendance.
Recently, these groups along with the Civil Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law analyzed low-level drug arrests in 2017 and 2018. Their data showed even though African Americans make up 8.9% of the county's population, they account for 29.4% of drug possession arrests. During the forum, they asked the candidates how they would change that.
Travis County District Attorney candidates face questions on drugs, race, and the criminal justice system
AUSTIN (KXAN) — All three candidate vying to serve as Travis County’s District Attorney came face-to-face at a forum on Sunday afternoon. They are competing in what could be one of the most contentious local races in the March 3 primary election.
The three candidates are: current Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore, who was elected in 2016, Workers Defense Project co-director Jose Garza, and defense attorney/victim service advocate Erin Martinson. They were questioned before an audience at a packed church on the role prosecutors play in promoting public health approaches to drug use, harm reduction, and pre-arrest diversion programs.
The forum was hosted by Grassroots Leadership, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and Texas Harm Reduction Alliance. These groups published findings last week that showed black people living in Travis County represent 29.4% of drug possession arrests, while making up just 8.9% of the population.
The long arm of ICE: Will sanctuary for immigrants be the next target?
Earlier this month, Edith Espinal was sitting in her room at Columbus, Ohio’s Mennonite Church when the letter from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrived.
“Please be advised that your failure to depart the United States in compliance with your final order of removal may result in civil and criminal penalties, including monetary fines and imprisonment,” it read. The letter also instructed Espinal to appear at a December 17 appointment at her local ICE field office.
Espinal is in sanctuary, an increasingly common practice in which immigrants take shelter in a house of worship to avoid deportation. Though there is no law governing sanctuary, ICE has typically refrained from entering the grounds of sanctuary-providing churches to arrest those whom the congregations have given protection.