The Tide is Turning on "Secure Communities"

On Monday Governor Patrick of Massachusetts added his voice to the growing chorus of opposition to the
Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement program called "Secure Communities".  When he announced his intention last winter to enroll MA in the program, he was greeted with howls of protest.  An earlier blog posting recounts the press conference and demonstration outside his office.  That protest yielded a series of public hearings around the state.  After the first few, the Tea Party began pushing hard to get their base to the hearings, at times even providing a bus.  But immigrants and their allies also turned out in large numbers.  Local groups organized, even when communications from the Governor made it appear that he had already made up his mind and it was an exercise in futility.

Then the Governor of Illinois announce he was terminating participation.  Then came the Governor of New York.  And finally Governor Patrick announced that he, too, would not enroll the state in the program.  His statement reflects all the testimony that they received from the community about why this is such a bad program.  A HUGE congratulations to all the folks who worked so hard on this.

And today - there is a great editorial in the New York Times.

Now it is time to really work on Rhode Island - the only New England State fully enrolled (CT has several counties enrolled).