Please visit our YouTube and Facebook pages.

1. ICE attacks trafficking
2. Consuls to aid Census
3. SF veto overridden
4. GA co. implementing 287(g)
5. Flier sent to illegals

1.
Immigration officials target 14 US cities in campaign against human trafficking
By Russell Contreras
The Associated Press, November 10, 2009

Boston (AP) -- Fourteen cities are being targeted in a new campaign aimed at alerting people about human trafficking, federal immigration officials have announced.

The "Hidden in Plain Sight" initiative, sponsored by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, features billboards highlighting "the horrors and the prevalence of human trafficking," which the agency says is equivalent to "modern-day slavery."

The words "Hidden in Plain Sight" are displayed on the advertisements with a toll-free number people can call to report situations where they believe people are being sexually exploited or forced to work against their will.

Cities in the new campaign are Atlanta; Boston; Dallas; Detroit; Los Angeles; Miami; Philadelphia; Newark, N.J.; New Orleans; New York; St. Paul, Minn.; San Antonio; San Francisco and Tampa, Fla.

Bruce Foucart, an ICE special agent in charge of New England, said officials hope the billboards persuade residents to report suspected cases to ICE or local law enforcement.

"It's difficult to identify victims and it's difficult for them to tell their stories," said Foucart.

About 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked each year around the world and about 17,500 of them end up in the United States, according to ICE. Immigration officials say the victims are lured from their homes with false promises of well-paying jobs but are trafficked into the commercial sex trade, domestic servitude or forced labor.
. . .
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-human-traf...

********
********

2.
Consuls from Latin America will help with the census
The Los Angeles Times, November 10, 2009

In an effort to allay any fears between the immigrant community and federal authorities, officials with the 2010 Census met with consuls of several Latin American countries to ask for support in their communities to spread the word about the importance of being counted.

“It is vital that every person living in the United States takes part to assure accurate representation and funding for vital services”, said Marycarmen Moran, promoter of the 2010 Census, adding that the consuls agreed to do all they can to make the census a success.

This cooperation is needed because Latino immigrants, mainly undocumented, have expressed concern regarding the confidentiality of the information obtained during the process, according to consulate officials.

“The immigration status of the individual is an issue that has generated some fear among immigrants”, said Eddie Bedon, Ecuador’s Consul General. “The Office of the Census has assured us that the confidentiality of the information will be safeguarded, and the census is being conducted irrespective of immigration status”.

“For Ecuador,” Bedón continued, “the information gleaned from the census will be very important. The statistics regarding the number of Ecuadoreans who live and work here will help us meet their needs, and defend their rights and interests”.
. . .
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2009/11/consuls-from-latin-ameri...

********
********

3.
Sanctuary veto overridden, legal action possible
By Heather Knight
The San Francisco Chronicle, November 11, 2009

San Francisco -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday was successful in overriding Mayor Gavin Newsom's veto of legislation changing the sanctuary city ordinance.

Newsom, who said the ordinance conflicts with federal law, said through his spokesman that he would ignore the legislation - prompting the legislation's author to threaten a legal challenge to the mayor. The new law takes effect in 30 days, and Supervisor David Campos said the board may fight the mayor in court if no compromise can be struck.

Campos' ordinance - which garnered eight votes Tuesday - requires that undocumented juveniles be turned over to federal authorities for possible deportation only after they're convicted of a felony. Currently, under a policy enacted by Newsom last year, youth are turned over upon arrest.

"The law is pretty clear that when you have legislation that is duly enacted, the job of the executive is to implement and enforce that legislation unless there is a finding by the court the legislation is illegal," Campos said. "In this case, there isn't."

Campos, a lawyer, pointed to the California Supreme Court's ruling in 2004 that Newsom had no authority to issue same-sex marriage licenses in violation of state law just because he "personally believes" the law is unconstitutional.

Rather, the court ruled, he took an oath of office swearing to uphold the law - and must abide by it until a court overrules the law he finds objectionable.

Likewise, Campos said that just because Newsom personally believes that undocumented youth should be turned over upon arrest, he can't ignore supervisors' legislation.

But U.S. Attorney Joe Russoniello said that unlike many areas of law, immigration is purely within the purview of the federal government and that no state or city can pass its own immigration laws - and therefore, the mayor must ignore the ordinance.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera declined to comment on the legality of Newsom ignoring the supervisors' legislation, but has warned previously that the legislation would violate federal law.

Herrera sent a letter to Russoniello on Tuesday asking the U.S. attorney to assure that San Francisco's law enforcement officers and other city officials wouldn't be prosecuted for violating federal laws if they obey the new city law.

Russoniello is unlikely to grant that assurance, and Herrera said that may prompt him to file suit in federal court defending the legislation. Now that it is city law, it's Herrera's duty to defend it.
. . .
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/10/BAO41AI8CG.DTL

********
********

4.
Gwinnett to start immigration enforcement
The Associated Press, November 10, 2009

Lawrenceville, GA -- The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office plans to get started with a federal program that will allow specially trained deputies to enforce federal immigration law.

The sheriff's office says deputies will be returning this weekend from training in Charleston, S.C., run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The 18 trained deputies plan to start the program "in some capacity" on Monday.
. . .
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/251/story/903570.html

********
********

5.
L.A. school leaders, community groups to debunk inflammatory flier aimed at undocumented parents [Updated]
The Los Angeles Times, November 10, 2009

Two L.A. Unified School District leaders plan to hold a news conference this morning with community groups to debunk a Spanish-language flier claiming illegal-immigrant parents who sign a petition calling for a charter school will be deported.

The 10 a.m. news conference outside the teachers union headquarters in the Wilshire District is the latest development in ongoing disagreements over a proposal to improve 30 struggling or new campuses, with the school district and its teachers union stalled in crucial negotiations.

Becoming a charter school is one option for the 30 campuses designated for reform plans. Charters are independently managed and frequently nonunion. They often have been criticized by United Teachers Los Angeles, the teachers union, but there is no evidence the union's leadership is responsible for the flier.

Participants in today’s news conference are expected to include school board President Monica Garcia, school board member Yolie Flores Aguilar and representatives of several allied community organizations.

Flores Aguilar authored the resolution that allows groups inside or outside the district to bid for control of new or struggling schools. Garcia is a close ally of L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has supported the Flores Aguilar resolution.

Besides calling attention to the flier, which reportedly circulated in the Pico-Union and Westlake areas west of downtown, the board members also plan to assert that community groups supporting the reform effort have suddenly encountered hostile receptions instigated by teachers on campuses where they were formerly welcome, said Jarad Sanchez, education coordinator of the group Alliance for a Better Community.
. . .
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/the-joust-over-who-will-co...