Urge state representatives to support Family Unity Act

OLYMPIA (March 9, 2015) — To identify potentially deportable immigrants, the federal “Secure Communities” program provides immigration agents with fingerprint records collected at local jails. In many cases, federal agents would ask local law enforcement officials to hold inmates believed to be in the country illegally so they could be transferred to federal custody.

At the 2014 Convention of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, delegates from unions across the state unanimously passed Resolution #19 in opposition to the program, urging the WSLC’s “strong opposition to any local government agency contracting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws under the Secure Communities program.”

The Washington Family Unity Act (HB 1716), sponsored by Rep. Luis Moscoso (D-Mountlake Terrace), embodies that resolution. This bill would make all our communities safer and keep immigrant families together by ensuring that local law enforcement agencies are focused on their primary missions of serving and protecting the community, instead of immigration enforcement.

The Family Unity Act has passed the House Public Safety and General Government committees and is now ready for a floor vote in the State House of Representatives.

TAKE A STAND — Please urge your State Representatives to support HB 1716. Click here to send  them a message. You can also call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and leave a message for both your State Representatives to support HB 1716.