WASHINGTON - October 1 - The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) released a letter urging President Obama to "immediately terminate" the Department of Homeland Security's 287(g) program.   The letter stated that the "misuse of the 287(g) program by its current participants has rendered it ineffective and dangerous to community safety."

The letter states that the program-which relinquishes the power to enforce federal immigration laws to local law enforcement and correction agencies-lacked oversight, demonstrated alarming mismanagement, deteriorated public safety and trust between communities and local law enforcement, diverted scarce resources, and was abused to "target immigrants and persons of color." For these reasons, the CHC urged the administration to abandon current efforts to reform the Bush-implemented program and instead terminate it immediately.

Last month, 521 local and national advocates including the NAACP, ACLU, MALDEF, and others condemned the Obama Administration's expansion of the program and asked the President for its immediate termination.

"Sheriff Arpaio's rampant racial profiling and civil rights abuses under the 287(g) program is but one example of a national disgrace," said Salvador Reza of Puente in Phoenix, Arizona. He added, " It is high time for the President to put an end to the racial profiling, terror, and the suffering of our communities by terminating the agreements once and for all."

Cesar Espinoza of America Para Todos in Houston urged local chiefs and sheriffs "to preserve real community safety by rejecting to re-sign the 287(g) agreements this month." He explained that, "A program so flawed should be ended, not mended."

"Our country needs federal immigration reform not local terror. As the CHC letter states, the 287(g) and other similar programs fail to bring us closer to the goal of a renewed national policy on immigration." said Diana Mejia Co-founder of Wind of the Spirit in Morristown, New Jersey.

To view the full letter please click here: http://ndlon.org/images/documents/hcletterdhs.pdf