Press Release: 2019-06-26
Advocates for public safety declare “Safe Communities Act” jeopardizes survivors of domestic violence particularly when judges free criminal illegal immigrants
For Immediate Release:
Date: June 26, 2019
Contact: Bill Gillmeister, 508-344-6325, bill@renewmacoalition.org
Woburn, MA – Renew MA Coalition, Safe Boston, Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime (AVIAC), and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) argue the recent rally in support of the unsafe Sanctuary State legislation (a.k.a. Safe Communities Act) is misguided.
A coalition of supporters for Sanctuary State paraded victims of domestic abuse who also claimed to be illegal immigrants before an activist crowd at the State House Wednesday, June 26. The coalition claims that illegal immigrants are afraid to report domestic abuse “…for fear of deportation and family separation.”
But Dave Ray, Media Director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform notes that victims of domestic abuse can report the crime anonymously without fear of repercussions and that there are a number of visas available to illegal alien crime victims who cooperate with law enforcement that eventually offer them legal status. “Sanctuary policies don’t protect anyone. They endanger public safety by putting criminal aliens back onto the streets of our cities. The argument that the Sanctuary State bill will improve cooperation between local police and immigrant communities has never been proven and is a ‘red herring’ argument.”
Data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Service report that an total of 170,478 U visas and 12,997 T visas have been approved since federal fiscal year 2009, and over 53,000 under the VAWA. In a blog dated August 1, 2018, David North with the Center for Immigration Studies, reports that the U visa program alone has provided substantial immigration benefits to more than 350,000 aliens. He reports that U program reaches it’s capped of 10,000 nearly every year, but there are unlimited U visas available for family members of applicants and that usually runs around 7,000 a year.
“Victims of domestic violence or other crimes who are illegal aliens need not fear action from ICE just because they report the crime,” explains Jessica Vaughan, Policy Studies Director at the Center for Immigration Studies. “Victims and witnesses are not targets of ICE. But if local police cannot communicate with ICE, then these victims might not be able to take advantage of special protections like U, S, and T visas, which allow them to stay legally if they assist authorities. Advocates for victims of domestic violence should spend their time and resources educating illegal residents about these protections instead of lobbying for shielding the perpetrators with sanctuary legislation.”
“I sympathize with all victims of illegal immigration crime,” explains Maureen Maloney whose son Matthew Denice was killed by drunk driving illegal immigrant. “But illegal immigrant sanctuary policies, whether municipal, county, or state, only make matters much worse not only for illegal immigrant victims, but for all of us.,”
“When judges release sexual abusers, gang members, and human traffickers back into the community instead of turning dangerous illegal immigrant criminals over the federal authorities, we are all endangered and the impact is cumulative,” says Bill Gillmeister, Policy Director of Renew Massachusetts Coalition. “We need to crack down on illegal immigrant criminals and deport them. The time is now to correct the Lunn decision that handcuffs our local law enforcement agencies.”
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