For those of you that are familiar with MoveOn’s history of staying silent on immigration issues, this may come as a pleasant surprise. This past week MoveOn sent e-mails to its supporters in California calling on Governor Brown to support the TRUST Act. The bill is designed to create safe spaces to encourage undocumented families to work with local police in reducing crime, making our communities safer. The legislation is a response to the destructive effects that the highly repressive federal ‘Secure Communities’ program has been having on local communities. Here’s the copy of the e-mail from MoveOn:
Dear MoveOn member,
Last year, Isaura called the Los Angeles police for help after her boyfriend beat her. She was arrested and placed in deportation proceedings.1
Norma reached out to the police in San Francisco after suffering from years of domestic abuse—only to be handed over to immigration authorities.2
Under current immigration policy, Isaura and Norma’s stories are all too common. Victims of abuse or witnesses of crimes can get swept up in deportation proceedings if they stand up and contact the police, and this makes our communities less safe.
That’s why, thanks in part to calls made by MoveOn members and our allies, the California state legislature passed the TRUST Act. It’s a bill to make sure that immigrant community members feel safe reporting crimes, without fear of detention or deportation, and that law enforcement officials don’t waste valuable resources detaining immigrants who have not done anything wrong.
And right now the TRUST Act (AB 1081) is sitting on Governor Brown’s desk waiting to be signed into law.3 But Governor Brown is undecided and he’s getting significant pressure from conservatives to veto the bill, which he could do at any moment, so he needs to hear from you now.
If we can show Governor Brown that Californians support the TRUST Act, we can get him to do the right thing and sign the bill. Can you call Governor Brown? Tell him: “Sign the TRUST act today to restore trust and safety in our communities.”
Here’s where to call:
Governor Jerry Brown (916) 445-2841
Then click here to report your call.
The TRUST Act has been endorsed by six different California law enforcement officials, including the police chiefs of San Francisco and Oakland, and by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as well as by immigrant rights organizations throughout the state, including California’s Roman Catholic bishops.4
Earlier this summer, MoveOn members called undecided California state legislators and asked them to vote yes on the TRUST Act. And our calls made a difference—seven of the eight legislators we called voted yes!
Now is our chance to make the final push. The bill is sitting on Governor Brown’s desk and all he needs to do is sign it.
Call Governor Brown and tell him: “Sign the TRUST act today to restore trust and safety in our communities.”
Here’s where to call:
Governor Jerry Brown (916) 445-2841
Then click here to report your call.
Thanks for all you do.
–Lenore, Laura, Wes, Ryan, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Domestic-violence victim calls 911 and is nearly deported,” ABC News, May 12, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=276981&id=51469-3448181-w325xex&t=4
2. “Noncriminals swept up in federal deportation program,” Los Angeles Times, April 25, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=276982&id=51469-3448181-w325xex&t=5
3. “TRUST Act To Limit Secure Communities Heads To California Governor,” Huffington Post, August 24, 2012 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=280562&id=51469-3448181-w325xex&t=6
4. “Trust, immigrants and Gov. Brown,” The New York Times, September 2, 2012 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=280560&id=51469-3448181-w325xex&t=7
“Santa Clara sheriff wades into Capitol immigration debate,” San Jose Mercury News, August 30, 2012 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=280563&id=51469-3448181-w325xex&t=8
Wow. What a difference a couple of years make. MoveOn has evolved from disturbingly staying silent on important issues like the DREAM Act to not only support that legislation publicly (see this twitter shoutout and these stories posted on MoveOn’s site) but to also now support the larger immigrant rights community with the TRUST Act. Project Economic Refugee welcomes MoveOn’s evolution on this. BIG kudos to MoveOn volunteers – I’m sure they are the ones that were behind this push to make the MoveOn leadership more progressive on immigration issues. We look forward to seeing more exciting opportunities to work together to tackle our immigration issues in a more just and fair way.