District Attorney Seth Williams Refuses Hundreds of Petitions About Police-ICE Program, PARS
This week, members of New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, who started a petition on Change.org that calls for an end to police-ICE collaborations that break up families and make communities afraid to report crimes, attempted to deliver more than 525 letters to the Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams and Mayor Michael Nutter.
The signatures included hundreds of Change.org members who have signed the petition, as well as members of grassroots organizations that are standing up against “Secure Communities” and PARS data-sharing (this type of sharing targets all arrested persons, including those not convicted of a crime, for deportation by ICE). Supporters of the petition include City Council members Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Jim Kenney and include faith, labor, civil rights, legal, service, and immigrant advocate groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union- Pennsylvania, Congreso, Esperanza, Inc., Taller Puertorriqueño, Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia, Jobs with Justice, JUNTOS, the Mayor's Commission on Asian American Affairs, the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, Police Advisory Commission, and The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia.
Community advocates report that Director of Multicultural Affairs Izzy Colon received the letters on behalf of the mayor’s office, and he was receptive to speaking with advocates about why involving local law enforcement in federal immigration enforcement is breaking down relations between police and immigrant communities -- how it has led to the deportations of people who have committed no crimes or only minor misdemeanors while allowing real criminals to prey on communities afraid to report crime.
The DA’s office, however, refused to receive the letters from members of its own constituency.
Marta Villanueva and Jen Rock of New Sanctuary Movement were forced to leave the letters with a security guard. "Constituents across Philadelphia signed letters asking him to cancel PARS, and no one would even take the time to meet with us,” Villanueva told the Philadelphia City Paper. “We're very concerned.”
In light of a new report showing that large numbers of those caught in S-Comm and PARS deportation dragnets have never even committed crimes and are in some cases innocent family members and witnesses, and following a unanimous adoption of a resolution of opposition to the measures by the City Council, it is alarming that the DA would ignore the concerns of so many community members. The community has already organized a response, however, and are coordinating a march this Wednesday through center city, called "Walk A Mile in Our Shoes." The march will start at Love park, go to the Liberty Bell, and head back to City Hall. It will make stops along the way, and people will share their personal story about how S.Comm and the PARS contact have negatively impacted their lives and communities. Here's the info:
What: March through Center City, meet at the LOVE statue and Love park
Who: Immigrant Rights and Faith Groups around Philadelphia
When: Wednesday August 24th, 3:00 pm
Where: March from LOVE park to the Liberty Bell and back to City Hall
Even if you can't make it in person, now’s the time to ramp up the pressure. Tell the DA that community concerns and community safety cannot be ignored, and it’s time to end police-ICE collaborations like PARS.
Photo Credit: Feathered Tar
Gabriela Garcia
is a freelance writer who has written for Latina, the Miami New Times, National Geographic Traveler blog, and Matador Network blogs, amongst other publications.
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