While some local law enforcement agencies have responded to the COVID-19 outbreak by diverting people away from prisons and jails and by releasing particularly vulnerable incarcerated individuals, federal immigration officials are continuing to endanger the lives and safety of detained people and undermine public health.
This week, Ed hosted a panel of experts at the South by Southwest conference that explored what policing should look like in this day and age and how it intersects with criminal justice reform.
This week, Daniella moderates a panel with Cannon Lambert, the Bland family attorney, and David Heilbroner, co-director of the documentary, “Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland,” during a live screening of the film at the Center for American Progress.
With unfounded fear of gang violence growing and greater scrutiny of law enforcement tactics, there is an increasing need for public safety strategies that balance respect for individual rights.
The Trump administration must help states take advantage of the federal government’s limited, unique resources to emphasize crime prevention, instead of just promoting and enabling the ramp-up of arrests and incarcerations.
Collaboration between law enforcement and immigration enforcement undermines public safety by making police departments deportation forces rather than protectors of people facing extreme risk of violence.
Increased involvement of state and local police in federal immigration enforcement carries financial burdens and litigation risks and damages community trust.
Bridging the divide between communities of color and law enforcement begins by recognizing that discord is rooted in the origins of policing in America.