An Open Letter to Sheriff Lupe Valdez Dear Sheriff Valdez: The signers of this letter call on you to meet with immigrant families immediately to discuss the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department’s role in enforcing federal immigration laws. In many ways, undocumented immigrant families are subject to indignities that most people will never face. They are robbed of wages on grueling work. Many will have their basic healthcare needs unmet. And many children will be separated from their parents as a result of an overlyaggressive deportation system. In a 2010 report1 , it was estimated that nearly 56 percent of deportations resulting from the Secure Communities program (SComm) were of noncriminals, meaning that they were deported solely because of immigration violations. We hope this statistic has improved. We’d like to meet with you to hear if it has. In two cases last year, federal judges indicated that ICE immigration detainers are not only optional, but local jurisdictions put themselves at great risk of litigation if they hold individuals past the point they would otherwise be released. In Galarza vs. Szalczyk2 and Maria MirandaOlivares vs. Clackamas County3, federal judges ruled that immigration detainers violate the Fourth Amendment’s due process clause. In both cases, local jurisdictions were ordered to pay considerable sums in damages to the plaintiffs. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss these instances. Also of great interest to us is how your department and ICE are implementing the new Priority Enforcement Program laid out by Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. In his memo4 , Secretary Johnson states that immigration detainers would be replaced by immigration notifications, and that detainers would only be used in “special circumstances.” We would like to know if and how this new policy is being implemented. In the spirit of transparency and open government, we call on you to meet with immigrant families regarding the issues stated above, and other issues affecting immigrant families. Considering what is taking place at the state capitol (e.g. ending the Texas Dream Act and passing an Arizonastyle immigration bill), immigrant families are in greater need of protection at the local level. It is our sincere belief that you and your department want what we want, a Dallas County that is safe for all families. Sincerely, Texas Organizing Project Proyecto Inmigrante North Texas Dream Team Arlington Unity Project Pueblo Sin Fronteras North Texas Jobs With Justice Coalition of Mexican Organizations National Day Laborer Organizing Network Mi Familia Vota Texas 1 http://ccrjustice.org/files/Secure%20Communities%20Fact%20Sheet%20Briefing%20guide%20822010%20Produc tion.pdf 2 https://www.aclu.org/immigrantsrights/galarzavszalczyk 3 http://www.ilrc.org/files/documents/letter_to_counties_re_mirandaolivares.pdf 4 http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/14_1120_memo_secure_communities.pdf