Citizens of Gwinnett County (with skin that is not white)…brace yourself for a barrage of racial profiling at its best. Prepare to be pulled over for trumped up traffic violations so under-trained police officers can inquire into your immigration status in an attempt to bring another prized “illegal” back to the station so that the County can receive federal money for housing them. Prepare to be questioned regarding your immigration status if you call the police for help after having been the victim of a crime or traffic accident.
Gwinnett County recently announced that it will be joining Cobb, Hall, and Whitfield Counties as a county that practices 287(g), a federal program that trains and authorizes deputies to enforce federal immigration law.
With 287(g) expanding, it is now more important than ever to know your rights and be prepared. If you are a person affected by the expansion of the program, remember, do not sign anything! Ask to speak to an attorney immediately, and do not allow yourself to be pressured into accepting what the ill-trained 287(g) officers say is your fate.
this is not fair!!
About 3 months ago, I might have agreed with the Gwinnett County’s decision to implement this program,but my views radically changed 8/27/09. A dear young man who had come to live with my family was arrested and informed for the first time in his life that he was not a legal citizen b/c of a deportation order issued when he was 2 years old. He lived in the US for 17 years and was even in our foster care system, yet no one ever applied for his citizenship papers and the deportation order was enforced b/c he got picked up by Gwinnett County for a traffic probation violation. He is 19 years old and was deported to Honduras, a country he has never known and no family ties there. He is going to come back to the US, and hopefully he won’t be one of statistics who dies trying to get back to the only country he has ever known. So yeah, my views on illegal immigrants have changed because I have seen first hand how screwed up our current immigration system is and how uncaring and heartless immigration officers are. I hope Gwinnett County can be a catapult for change in the current system, not be enforcers of a screwed up beuracratic nightmare !!!!!!