How immigrants are redefining 'American' in Southern California

L.A. County may have to release federal-local immigration partnership data

Leslie Berestein Rojas |

In July, immigrant rights activists sued Los Angeles County and Sheriff Lee Baca over the county's not releasing information about the county's cooperation with federal immigration officials. The county has long had a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via a program called 287(g), which allows jail inmates to be turned over to immigration officials.

The LA Weekly reports that a judge has ruled that the Sheriff cannot block the California Public Records Act request, meaning the lawsuit may move forward. It would be interesting data to see, as the county also houses ICE detainees on contract at its Mira Loma Detention Center in Lancaster. Baca is also a supporter of Secure Communities, a program that allows fingerprints of people booked into local jails to be shared with immigration agents. From the story:

One argument Baca made in his motion was that much of the requested information was confidential, because the sheriff's contracts with ICE stipulate that the inner workings of joint local-federal programs aren't for public viewing.

However, immigrant attorney Karp says the judge ruled today that "neither the sheriff nor ICE can contract away state law." (State law being the California Public Records Act, one of our personal faves.)

Read more at: blogs.laweekly.com

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