According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration is considering a plan mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up millions of undocumented immigrants in states along the southern border. This includes states like California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; as well as states adjacent to border states, like Oregon, Nevada, Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Louisiana. Governors have the final approval on National Guard deployments. This means Donald Trump’s plan won’t work without the support of Governors. So if we want to stop the systematic removal of millions of aspiring Americans from the United States by the National Guard, we need to make sure Governors in the targeted states hear from their constituents. Please join with me and demand that Governor John Hickenlooper does not authorize the Colorado National Guard from joining Donald Trump’s Deportation Force.

According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration is considering a plan mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up millions of undocumented immigrants in states along the southern border. This includes states like California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; as well as states adjacent to border states, like Oregon, Nevada, Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Louisiana.

FACT: WE ALREADY HAVE EFFECTIVE SECURITY MEASURES AT THE BORDER. Pursuant to The Secure Fence Act of 2006, at a cost of over $2.4 Billion, we have already constructed 670 miles of border fencing along our southern border, primarily in populated areas and where most border crossings have occurred. This fencing is supplemented by surveillance cameras, drone aircraft, and increased law enforcement presence. According to a 2016 Pew Report (using U.S. Border Patrol data), BORDER CROSSINGS IN 2015 WERE AT A 50-YEAR LOW, largely due to these enhanced border security measures. FACT: THE WALL WILL NOT NECESSARILY INCREASE BORDER SECURITY. According to one Republican Congressman from Texas, the state with a 1200 mile border with Mexico: "Building a wall is the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border" and ". . . is a third-century solution to a 21st Century problem." This opinion is echoed by a former Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection who has said that anyone familiar with the southern border and its terrain (isolated deserts, rugged mountains, canyons, and the ever-changing 1200 mile Rio Grande river boundary) recognizes that a wall along the entire border is probably not going to work, is not feasible to build, and is not the smartest way to spend taxpayers' money. (American Immigration Council Fact Sheet, Jan. 25, 2017) FACT: THE WALL WILL NOT STOP DRUG TRAFFICKING. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's 2016 National Drug Threat Assessment Summary, the majority of illegal drugs are smuggled into the U.S. across the southern border via vehicles through under-staffed U.S. Ports of Entry and illicit tunnels (225 discovered since 1990). Both problems will continue to exist even if the Wall is built. FACTS: U.S. TAXPAYERS WILL PAY FOR THE WALL, NOT MEXICO. Despite Trump's continuing claim that Mexico will pay, he has no plan to achieve this. There's talk of a plan for the U.S. taxpayers to fund the wall, which will be reimbursed by the imposition of a 20% border tax on all Mexican imports. This is no solution!! A border tax would actually lead to a 20% TAX INCREASE on U.S. consumers; if levied, we would PAY TWICE for the Wall! We'd pay for the Wall a first time through appropriations and then a second time through the increased cost of consumer goods! Moreover, such a stiff tariff would likely lead to a U.S.-Mexico trade war that could destabilize both countries' economies. PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION. TELL CONGRESS TO VOTE "NO" TO TRUMP'S WALL!

According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration is considering a plan mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up millions of undocumented immigrants in states along the southern border. This includes states like California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; as well as states adjacent to border states, like Oregon, Nevada, Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Louisiana. Governors have the final approval on National Guard deployments. This means Donald Trump’s plan won’t work without the support of Governors. So if we want to stop the systematic removal of millions of immigrants from the United States by the National Guard, we need to make sure Governors in the targeted states hear from their constituents. Please join with me and demand that Governor Doug Ducey does not authorize the Arizona National Guard from joining Donald Trump’s Deportation Force.

According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration is considering a plan mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up millions of undocumented immigrants in states along the southern border. This includes states like California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; as well as states adjacent to border states, like Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Governors have the final approval on National Guard deployments. This means Donald Trump’s plan won’t work without the support of Governors. So if we want to stop the systematic removal of millions of aspiring Americans from the United States by the National Guard, we need to make sure Governors in the targeted states hear from their constituents. Please join with me and demand that Governor Gary Herbert does not authorize the Utah National Guard from joining Donald Trump’s Deportation Force.

Several Latino men had just left the hypothermia shelter at Rising Hope Mission Church in Alexandria, Virginia when a dozen federal agents suddenly surrounded them, pushed them up against a wall, and began checking their immigration status. Under a policy set by the Obama administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are supposed to avoid churches and other "sensitive locations." But now that Donald Trump is president, ICE has apparently decided that it's okay to lie in wait outside a church and indiscriminately detain those leaving it. This raid appears to be the first of its kind, so we need a huge national outcry immediately - before ICE attacks the sanctity of any more churches.

The Trump administration has announced that it will be sending National Guard troops to the border, even though crossings are at a 50-year low. There are already so many Border Patrol agents there that each agent makes an average of two arrests per month. Trump's plan includes states like California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; as well as states adjacent to border states, like Oregon, Nevada, Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Louisiana. Governors have the final approval on National Guard deployments. This means Donald Trump's plan won't work without the support of governors. So if we want to stop the systematic removal of millions of aspiring Americans from the United States by the National Guard, we need to make sure governors in the targeted states hear from their constituents. Please join with me and demand that Governor Jerry Brown does not authorize the California National Guard to join Donald Trump's Deportation Force.

Numerous reports and studies have shown the negative human and legal impacts of implementing 287(g). Investigation has revealed that the program has led to widespread racial profiling as police officers target immigrants and people of color for stops, searches, and interrogations. The program has also led to distrust between immigrant communities and law enforcement, making it harder for local police to do their jobs. This program is not mandatory: only 34 law enforcement agencies in the entire country have 287(g) agreements deputizing their officers to act as immigration agents, and only 2 in New Jersey. The Maricopa County, AZ program, run by Sheriff Joseph Arpaio, was the largest 287(g) jurisdiction, until it was terminated following a federal investigation into racial profiling and discrimination. The principal mission of law enforcement officers in this State is to enforce the criminal laws and to protect the communities that they serve. It is not to enforce federal immigration laws. Effective policing requires the cooperation of, and a positive relationship with, all members of the community. Cape May County is home to many immigrants and this program hurts the trust from immigrant community members. We respectfully request that the Cape May County Sheriff and Freeholders discontinue the agreement with ICE.

Immigrants are a vital part of every Californian's life. They are our co-workers, and family members. Demand that our elected officials pass the California Values Act.

We need our lawmakers to resist getting swept up in the anti-immigrant fervor that the Trump Administration has legitimized. It is a sorry contradiction that Republicans, emboldened by the Trump administration’s fear-mongering, are attempting to increase the scope of government authority by proposing that police officers and civil servants perform the role of full-time liaisons for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office (ICE).

The Pennsylvania Values Act The Pennsylvania Values Act will protect all Pennsylvanians by ensuring that state and local resources are not used for mass deportations, separation of families or to divide Pennsylvanians on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, or national or ethnic group. This bill would create “safe zones” around public places such as public schools, courthouses and hospitals. Immigration enforcement would be banned from these places and this bill would also require these agencies to update their confidentiality policies so that immigration status is not shared for enforcement purposes. The Pennsylvania Values Act has not been introduced yet. We are urging our legislators and Gov. Wolf to move this concept forward. Throughout his campaign, President Trump has publicly stated his stance against immigration, where he threatened to increase deportations and target the Muslim community. Now that he is president, he has issued a travel ban that targets Muslims and has begun the process of expanding the deportation of families. He also threatened to cut the funding from cities or counties that declare themselves “sanctuary.” This puts cities and counties in a limbo, to decide between cooperating with immigration enforcement or to lose their funding. This bill is important to the immigrant community because if local and state agencies cooperate with federal immigration authorities, the immigrant community will lose the hard-earned trust of our local agencies. Broken trust can lead our immigrant community to discontinue seeking services such as health services, educational services or they will fear to inquire for law enforcement’s help if they are victims or witnesses of a crime to avoid being questioned about their immigration status.

HB 2000 must be evaluated in light of Section 8 of President Trump's January 25, 2017 Executive Order entitled "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States." In that Executive Order, President Trump sets forth his plan to "deputize" state and local police officers to perform the functions of federal immigration officials. Section 8(a) of the Executive Order indicates this plan will be accomplished thorough "agreements" with state and local authorities. HB 2000, which will prohibit any "locality" from adopting ordinances, procedures, or policies that restrict the enforcement of federal immigration laws, seems consistent with and could be used in furtherance of the Executive Order. On its own, HB 2000, given its vague and broad language, will likely be used to require state and local police to identify and detain immigrants of uncertain status for possible deportation. Even if one completely discounts ethical concerns regarding HB2000, it is objectionable on so many other levels. Do we want our local police officers to be an arm of the federal government? Do we want state and local law enforcement, which has the primary goal of protecting Virginia and its local communities, to take on additional responsibilities that will distract it from its mission? Should Virginia citizens pay for the enforcement of federal law by state and local police? Do we want to discourage immigrant residents from cooperating with the police to solve crimes in our communities? I think the answers to these questions is "No!" Please act quickly as this bill has already passed the VA House & will be before the VA Senate Committee on Local Government for consideration as early as February 14, 2017. If it passes that committee, it will go immediately to the Senate for reading & vote. In addition to signing this petition, please contact your State Senator (directory: http://apps.senate.virginia.gov/Senator) and Senator William Stanley, the chairmen of the Committee on Local Government ([email protected]; phone: 804-698-7520), to voice your opposition. Moreover, this bill was proposed by Delegate Charles Poindexter - 9th District, who also proposed HB 2001, which many of you opposed and which would have required state professors to aid ICE in identifying students for deportation. Those of you in his district (9th) may want to contact him to voice your opposition to these types of bills, which require state and local employees to undertake the work of federal agencies. ([email protected]; phone 804-698-1009). VIEW BILL: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?171+ful+HB2000H1