More state police checkpoints in Virginia
Sharing from a couple of advocacy groups. Please share.
For reference:
Governor Terry McAuliffe’s office | 804–786–2211
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security |804–786–5351
If you experience a checkpoint, the governor’s office asks that you call them as soon as you can do so safely. Follow that call with one to the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and report it.
McAuliffe is meeting with Homeland Security this week and will issue a further statement. He is standing against these checkpoints, and they want our calls! Perhaps, politely ask the checkpoint officer what the checkpoint is for and report their response.
Shield Immigrants from Harsh Deportation Tactics
Actions by Homeland are shifting from words to action as ICE raids and checkpoints are ramping up across the country. On February 18th, a series of draft memos were released outlining Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly’s aggressive plan to further accelerate these actions, including hiring 15,000 new ICE and Border Patrol agents, as well as deputizing local law enforcement. (Keep in mind that DHS has jurisdiction within 100 miles of any border and that includes coastlines.) Further, the pool of immigrants targeted would expand from serious criminals to “all removable aliens.” This would expose families with American born children to have their parents deported for traffic violations.
Governor McAuliffe can lobby the federal government and order state authorities to block federal immigration agents. He can also refuse to provide state-level immigration data to them. Some Governors have already taken this bold action in Oregon and California. In Virginia, Bill HB 2000, that would prohibit localities from declaring themselves “sanctuary cities” for undocumented immigrants passed the state Senate on Wednesday, where Republicans hold a slim majority. On the same day, our Governor Terry McAuliffe said he would veto it, along with two other measures that would toughen the state’s stand on immigration.
ACTIONS
Call these offices:
Governor Terry McAuliffe’s office | 804–786–2211
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security |804–786–5351
Suggested script:
Hi, my name is _____, and I’m a constituent from (City, Zip). I’m calling to confirm that Governor McAuliffe is going to veto HB 2000 and that he is taking any steps possible to protect our immigrant community from President Trump’s aggressive deportation tactics. I’d also like to thank him for taking that position.
Has the Governor made a statement committing to protect our immigrant communities from federal immigration agents by guarding our state’s data on immigrants from the federal government? I know he has not been a supporter of providing local resources to support federal immigration raids or encouraging local law enforcement agencies not to cooperate with ICE. However, I am hearing reports of inexplicable checkpoints yesterday manned by VA State Police within miles of each other in both Clarke and Fauquier Counties. Have the Virginia State Police begun to man immigration checkpoints in Virginia as well?
I thank Gov. McAuliffe for his support and you for your hard work answering the phones.
If you get voicemail: State your name and full address with zip code.
“I urge the Governor to continue to support and protect the immigrant communities in Virginia through any possible means, including veto of HB 2000, withholding data and refusing to provide local law enforcement resources, and shield them from the xenophobic Trump agenda.”
Here’s an article about the increased actions: LA Daily News
Outside Virginia
Check your local news and your Governor’s website for position statements on raids and checkpoints in your state. Call your Governor and state representatives to express your concerns about state resources being used for or state cooperation with the GOP administration’s deportation tactics.
