SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCR) charged President Trump signed an unconstitutional law known as the Laken Riley Act this past week.
The LCCR claims this law will unlawfully target immigrants of color who can be accused of committing offenses without being convicted. This law will make a major impact in states like California where immigrants contribute significantly to the economy, notes LCCR.
According to the LCCR, the Laken Riley Act makes it mandatory for immigration officials to detain people who have committed low-level offenses, even if they do not pose a threat to society.
Being brought before a judge is not necessary to place individuals in detention centers—merely accusing them of committing a crime is enough, LCCR observed, adding, “In doing so, the law strips due process protections and allows for discrimination against vulnerable immigrant communities.”
LCCR explains the federal government has the authority of whom to detain and to deport people who commit criminal offenses, and judges play a role in overseeing the power police officials have.
However, LCCR argues that this Act removes the balance of power between police forces and judges, undermining the constitutional rights of marginalized communities and immigrants.
Additionally, the act will incite racial profiling and reduce the amount of law enforcement resources needed to combat real threats, argues LCCR.
LLCR Executive Director Biance Sierra Wolf insisted LLCR will challenge the constitutionality of the law, charging, “We will not stand by while the rights of immigrants and communities of color are trampled for political gain.”
