S-Comm Panel in Arlington, VA

Wednesday August 24, 2011 in Arlington, VA.

After a press conference and rally at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church more than 300 people marched to a hearing held by the Homeland Security Advisory Council's Task Force on Secure Communities at George Mason Law School.

The same agency that recently announced that it will force the disastrous deportation program on all cities and states including those that have rejected it like Arlington,VA, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Montgomery County, MD, Illinois and New York State, called for community input at 5 hearings around the country.

On the heels of the Los Angeles and Chicago hearings that ended in walk-outs, the administration responded with an announcement of case by case review of deportations.

Marchers, including the Rev. Linda Olson Peebles of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington and other clergy active in V.O.I.C.E. (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) sent the message to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that it's time to end the so-called "Secure Communities" (S-Comm) program.

Special thanks to Maria Bolanos and Florinda Lorenzo, two Casa de Maryland members facing deportation, who confronted Marc Rapp, the head of S-Comm, who sat amongst the audience.

Video by Barbara Johnson.

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Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Arlington VA
• Deportation
• Homeland Security
• Insecure Secure Communities
• UUCAVA
• S-Comm
• ICE
• Immigration