Protesters Rally Against 'Coercive Deportation'

Chanting alternately in Spanish and English, a diverse group of about 300 protesters marched Thursday from George Mason's Arlington campus to the Arlington County Justice Center, protesting against "coercive deportation."

The rally at the court house included speakers from the immigrant community, from religious leaders and advocacy groups, organized by CASA de Maryland, an advocacy group for Latino communities. Activists from similar movements in New York and California also spoke about finding inspiration from Arlington County.

The protest was held in response to the federal Secure Communities program, which matches fingerprints of arrested individuals against the Department of Homeland Security's immigration violation database. Activists called for a moratorium on the program, which began in 2008 and is now active in 1,315 local jurisdictions in 42 states and has removed more than 72,000 criminal aliens.

Arlington County's history with the Secure Communities program has been contentious since last September when the county attempted to opt out of the program. The county board said that "the Secure Communities Initiative will create divisions in our community and promote a culture of fear and distrust of law enforcement that threatens public safety and makes communities less safe."

Other jurisdictions have also considered or attempted to opt out of the program, including Illinois, California, and Montgomery County, Md. The federal government has affirmed that local jurisdictions cannot elect to withdraw from the program, but are not required to enforce immigrations policies. Enforcement remains the responsibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Commander Jim Wasem of the Arlington County Police Department was at the protest to emphasize that local law enforcement are not doing anything differently in their arrest process. The information, he said, goes from the local jurisdiction to the state, which passes the information to the federal government. 

"We're not asking people immigration status or for documents," Wasem said. "We need community trust, we need witnesses to testify, and victims to come forward."