S-Comm

In July 2011, the Springfield City Council passed a resolution urging Mayor Sarno to refuse to participate in the federal S-Comm anti-immigrant dragnet, and on Sept. 1, the Northampton City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution expressing the city's desire to opt out as well. The ACLU worked with the American Friends Service Committee and the Bill of Rights Defense Committee on the campaign.

Gov. Patrick announced in June that he would not sign an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to implement S-Comm, and Mayor Menino of Boston told ICE that the city needs answers before Boston would continue participating. The program's future remains unclear.

The ACLU of Massachusetts opposes S-Comm for three main reasons:

- S-Comm, also known as "Secure Communities," doesn't do what it says it will--in fact, it makes us less secure.

- Violent criminals already get deported. S-Comm, instead, rounds up people who haven't been convicted of any crime. It clogs jails and diverts resources from solving or stopping violent crime.

- S-Comm undermines community trust in police. When any interaction with a local police officer can get you deported, it makes witnesses and crime victims from immigrant communities afraid to come forward--and that's why many police say they oppose it.

"This latest power-grab by the feds shows complete disrespect for the cities and states that worked hard to negotiate agreements and those that, like Massachusetts, decided after much consideration not to sign on the dotted line. Police and communities have real, on-the-ground concerns that S-Comm makes our communities less safe. ICE has once again steamrolled over those concerns and claimed a right to rule by decree."

Read the news release

Responding to concerns from community members and law enforcement officials, Mayor Menino today sent a strong message to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that the so-called "Secure Communities" (S-Comm) program is not working for Boston. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts praised the Mayor's strong stance on this overreaching federal deportation dragnet and encouraged the city to withdraw completely.

News Release | Read Carol Rose's "On Liberty" blog about the Mayor's decision: I ♥ Menino

ACLU aplaude la decisión, dice que la operación de deportación "Comunidades Seguras" daña la seguridad pública.

English: Mayor Menino takes a stand against S-Comm

Governor Patrick today announced his opposition to the federal deportation program known as "Secure Communities," or S-Comm, which sends the fingerprints of everyone arrested--not convicted--for any offense to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

News Release | Blog: Governor Patrick walks the walk on community policing and immigration