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Forimmediaterelease:August19,2013

Contact:DianaRubio213.977.5252

FiveLawSchoolDeans,46ProfsUrgeGov.BrownonTRUSTAct

Toplegalexpertspushforbrightlinebetweenbrokenfederaldeportationpolicies,locallawenforcement

Today,51leadinglegalscholarsissuedadetailedlettertoCaliforniaGovernorJerryBrownregarding

theTRUSTAct,abillthatseekstolimitdeportationsandrebuildcommunityconfidenceinlaw

enforcement.

Intheletter,theexpertsurgetheGovernortoupholdakeyfeatureofthebillascurrentlywrittenby

ensuringthatpriorbrusheswiththenation'sbrokenimmigrationsystemdonotcauseimmigration

"holds"inCalifornia'sjails.

Thelegalscholarsurgeagainstholdingindividualssimplybecausetheyhave"priorremovalorders"or

"re-entry"offenses.Theletterexplainsthatthesestementirelyfromthenation'sprofoundlybroken

immigrationsystem.Theyoutlineseveraldevastatingflawsinthenation'simmigrationsystemthat

resultinunjustdeportations,including:

Seriousproceduraldefectsintheimmigrationcourtsystem.Anunworkableimmigrationcourtsystem,withmanylong-timeresidentsordereddeportedwithouttheirknowledgeorcoerced

intosigningawaytheirrights.

InadequaterelieffromdeportationincurrentU.S.immigrationlawandpolicy.Unjustfederalpoliciesthatpreventimmigrationjudgesfromconsideringallofthecircumstancesofaperson's

case,includingfamilyties

Keysignatoriesoftoday'sletterincludeErwinChemerinsky,DeanoftheUCIrvineSchoolofLaw;

ChristopherEdley,Jr.,DeanofUCBerkeley'sBoaltHallSchoolofLaw;KevinJohnson,DeanoftheUC

DavisSchoolofLaw;JohnTrasvia,DeanoftheUniversityofSanFranciscoSchooloflaw;andFrankH.

Wu,Chancellor&DeanoftheUCHastingsCollegeoftheLaw;MarkRosenbaum,chiefcounseloftheACLUofSouthernCalifornia(Lawschoolaffiliationsincludedforidentificationpurposesonly).

ThelettercomesontheheelsofprominentTRUSTActendorsementsfrom28California Membersof

CongressandthePoliceChiefsofSanDiego,ChulaVista ,andNationalCity.

"Weneedimmigrationpoliciesthatupholdtheprinciplesoffamilyunityanddueprocess.Asafirststep

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towardfixingtheinjusticesofourimmigrationsystemandadvancingcommon-senseimmigrationpolicy

acrossthenation,IurgetheGovernortosigntheTRUSTActascurrentlywritten,"saidBillOngHing,

ProfessorofLawattheUniversityofSanFrancisco.

"Duetothisnation'sfailuretoestablishareasonableimmigrationprocess,manypeoplewhocameto

theUnitedStatesforabetterlifeandhavedeepfamilytiesherehavebeensweptupinawaveof

aggressiveenforcementwithfewlegaloptions.Caughtinadeeplydysfunctionalsystemwherejudges'

handsaretiedandfundamentalviolationsofbasicdueprocessprinciplesarerampant,manyare

deported.Theyreturntobereunitedwiththeirlovedonesandcontributetothiscountry.Channeling

resourcestodeportthemagainaftertrivialorwrongfularrestsunderminesourvalues,"remarked

AllisonDavenport,aLecturerandClinicalInstructorattheInternationalHumanRightsLawClinicofUC

Berkeley'sSchoolofLaw.

TheTRUSTActwouldensurethatpeoplearrestedforlow-level,non-violentoffensesarenotheldfor

extratimeatlocalexpenseinresponsetocostly"hold"requestsissuedbyImmigrationandCustoms

Enforcement(ICE),oftenwithoutprobablecausethatapersonisdeportable.Suchholdshaveunfairly

trappedcitizensinlocaljailsforanextendedperiodoftime,includingsurvivorsofdomesticviolenceand

othercrimes,andmanyaspiringcitizensarrestedforissuesasminorassellingfoodwithoutapermit.

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