CAMDEN, Del. - The American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware spoke out against the city of Camden’s decision to sign an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Camden Police Chief says the department has since withdrawn from the agreement with ICE following pushback.
The 287(g) agreement, which was finalized on April 29 according to ICE, gives local police the authority to enforce federal immigration laws during their normal duties. This agreement would have made Camden the first in Delaware. ACLU-DE argued such agreements erode trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities.
“Immigrants are a vital part of our communities, and these agreements only serve to directly support the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans,” said Mike Brickner, executive director, ACLU of Delaware. “287(g) agreements undermine public safety by pitting local law enforcement against immigrant communities, meaning that victims of crime, witnesses, and others will be afraid to come forward and cooperate with police. These agreements have shown to also lead to race profiling, where people of color experience more problems with law enforcement, regardless of their own personal immigration status.”
Helen Salita, campaign manager for the ACLU of Delaware, called on state lawmakers to take immediate action.
"There are an array of bills pending in the state legislature that would protect immigrant communities from harassment at sensitive locations, having their data mined by federal immigration enforcement, and ensure that children of immigrants can continue to access a quality education," said Salita. "It’s time for our elected officials to move these bills and demonstrate their support to our immigrant friends and neighbors, and that Delaware will not be party to the Trump administration’s mass deportation machine.”
On March 28, lawmakers first considered legislation that would restrict law enforcement from cooperating with federal agencies conducting immigration enforcement at schools or churches without the attorney general's permission.