HML and MAPA Join Others in Protest against Zine/Smith Amendments to Special Order 40

The Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) and Hermandad Mexicana Lationamericana (HML) supports the Labor Community Strategy Center and other civil and immigrant rights organizations in urging the Mayor of Los Angeles and the City Council to reject the Zine/Smith amendments to Special Order 40. There will be a press conference tomorrow morning (Monday) at 11 a.m. in front of the LAPD headquarters at Parker Center to discuss the issue. I will not be present but below is my statement:

“The ‘tough on crime’ posture of many city leaders is fostering right wing, anti-immigrant forces in the region. It’s twisting the tragedy of violence in the streets and advancing policies that will weaken civil liberties and give the LAPD carte blanche to racially profile Chicanos, Latinos, immigrants and young people of color.

“I join others in calling upon Mayor Villaraigosa, the L.A. City Council and Chief Bratton to not only maintain Special Order 40 as written, but also to expand it. Los Angeles should be made to be a Sanctuary City for immigrants. While Mayor Villaraigosa’s 27 March letter to ICE concerning workplace raids is an important statement, we strongly oppose any open-ended invitation for ICE to crack down on so-called ‘immigrant criminals.’ It has been well documented that during the mass ‘anti-immigrant crime’ sweeps led by ICE last October, scores of people taken into custody were collateral arrests of immigrants innocent of any offense. As such, we collectively urge an unequivocal and sound rejection of the Zine/Smith motion, to assure all immigrants that they will not be targeted but rather protected inside the borders of the City of Los Angeles.”