Special Order 40 Press Conference - Monday at 11 a.m.

There is a press conference tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. in front of Parker Center with the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), Hermandad Mexicana Lationamericana (HML), the Labor Community Strategy Center (LCSC) and other civil and immigrant rights organizations. They are urging the Mayor of Los Angeles and the City Council to reject the Zine/Smith amendments to Special Order 40.

Click here for the full statement released by the groups; below is an abbreviated version by MAPA and HML National President, Nativo V. Lopez:

“The ‘tough on crime’ posture of many city leaders is fostering right wing, anti-immigrant forces in the region. It’s twisting the tragedy of violence in the streets and advancing policies that will weaken civil liberties and give the LAPD carte blanche to racially profile Chicanos, Latinos, immigrants and young people of color.

“I join others in calling upon Mayor Villaraigosa, the L.A. City Council and Chief Bratton to not only maintain Special Order 40 as written, but also to expand it. Los Angeles should be made to be a Sanctuary City for immigrants. While Mayor Villaraigosa’s 27 March letter to ICE concerning workplace raids is an important statement, we strongly oppose any open-ended invitation for ICE to crack down on so-called ‘immigrant criminals.’ It has been well documented that during the mass ‘anti-immigrant crime’ sweeps led by ICE last October, scores of people taken into custody were collateral arrests of immigrants innocent of any offense. As such, we collectively urge an unequivocal and sound rejection of the Zine/Smith motion, to assure all immigrants that they will not be targeted but rather protected inside the borders of the City of Los Angeles."

(Full Disclosure - I consult for both MAPA and HML.)