National Latina Institute Thanks DC Council for Passing Act that Protects Latinas

Today the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health thanks the DC councilmembers who passed the Immigration Detainer Emergency Compliance Amendment Act in response to the federal government’s activation of Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) controversial Secure Communities deportation program (S-Comm).“Latino/as have been disproportionately arrested under S-Comm. There’s no doubt this program harms our community and creates a level of mistrust between immigrants and the authorities,” said Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of NLIRH. “By limiting its participation in S-Comm, the District is welcoming and protecting immigrants, including women immigrants, and their families.”The act limits ICE’s use of District facilities of equipment and establishes that the Department of Corrections (DOC) should comply with ICE detainer request only if the individual is at least 18 years old and has committed a serious crime.“NLIRH thanks the DC councilmembers for their strong support of immigrants,” González-Rojas said. “We’ll continue to work with legislators like these to push back against bad policies and work toward comprehensive immigration reform.”###The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is the only national organization working on behalf of the reproductive health and justice of the 20 million Latinas, their families and communities in the United States through public education, community mobilization and policy advocacy.