LOS ANGELES - October 16 - Today, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it plans enter into new Memorandums of Agreement  with 67 local law enforcement agencies as part of the 287(g) Program, although only 55 have been finalized.

Last week, DHS released a report on detention conditions and announced its intention to limit subcontracting of immigration detention responsibility.   The same report noted that the vast majority of immigrants processed through 287(g) programs were never charged with a criminal offense at all (see page 13).  

On August 25, Over 500 civil rights organizations implored President Obama to end the flawed 287(g) program.  On September 28, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus sent a strongly worded letter to the President calling for complete termination of the 287(g) program.    Earlier this week, the New York Times published an editorial urging the same.

The following is a statement by Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director, of the the National Day Laborer Organizing Network in reaction to today's announcement: 

"We were stunned to see Joe Arpaio is on the list of partner agencies.   The country needs federal immigration reform, not a handful of agreements with demagogue sheriffs in the South with a track record of scapegoating immigrants.    Today's announcement takes us in the exact opposite direction we need to be heading to achieve comprehensive immigration reform.

"Secretary Napolitano's enforcement policies are incoherent.  Last week, DHS said immigration enforcement is civil matter that should not be subcontracted or delegated.   The very report used to draw that conclusion noted alarming statistics about how the 287(g) program has been used to date.

"If the 287(g) program actually improves public safety, as Assistant Secretary Morton suggests, then why didn't more police departments sign up?  The real story is not the handful of agencies that signed, but the vast majority of police departments that said, ‘no thanks."

"In the end of the day, it doesn't really matter how many 287g agreements are signed, or what modifications the programs goes through if  the suffering of families continues in our communities.  To us, nothing has changed.  We know first hand what it is like when local sheriff deputies or police officers are given the authority- whether in jail or in the streets-  to enforce immigration laws: it is a recipe for racial profiling.

Finally, it is hard to believe that Joe Arpaio is retaining any contract with the federal government at all.  For the last two weeks, he announced on national television his intent to "fool" DHS by stating several times that 'nothing has changed.'    Even Glenn Beck was shocked when Arpaio stated his intention to use the agreements to continue racial profiling."