Advocates: Omit East Haven From Enforcement Program

Immigrant advocates have asked Gov. Dannel Malloy to exempt East Haven from the Secure Communities program because of allegations that Latinos were unfairly harassed by East Haven Police.

An article in today’s New Haven Register said the Yale Law School Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic, the Junta for Progressive Action and other immigrant advocates also planned to ask the governor to delay implementation of the immigration enforcement program statewide.

In addition, representatives from Community Immigrants of East Haven — the new grassroots group organzing this Saturday's unity/civil rights march — were also expected to join the others requesting the delay in Hartford this morning, Herman Zuniga, the organization's president, told East Haven Patch.

The Secure Communities program would share fingerprints and other arrest information between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and departments in Connecticut, and allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to request suspected undocumented aliens be held for 48 hours without charges.

The article reported that civil rights advocates believe the program is unconstitutional. The Yale Law School clinic wants to exempt East Haven because of the ongoing federal civil rights investigation here.

—Additional reporting by Julie Weisberg