1 week Ago By Times-Call letters to the editor
Colo. immigration bill protects civil rightsI’ve always felt that I was safe to share my opinions, whether testifying at the Capitol, writing opinion pieces in the newspaper or being a member of groups supporting various issues.I now know that this is no longer completely true.
Every day we see that ICE is not just focusing on immigrants where they have actual information that they a committed crime. We see immigrants that are here with the permission of the United States government and are on a path to citizenship which they have earned by contributing to our economy and our communities are being detained and deported.We even see U.
S. citizens and foreign visitors being detained by ICE without any information that would justify this harm. Some have been held in unsafe detention facilities for weeks.
ICE has many ways to find your personal information to use against you or others. That is why we need to protect everybody’s personal information in every legal way that we can.Colorado Senate Bill 25–276 does that.
It does not prevent access ICE from obtaining information where there is a legal basis, such as a warrant signed by a judge.It does protect information in places like childcare centers, schools, etc. where illegal and immoral methods are likely to destroy the lives of children.
Once having access to some people’s personal information they will have access to many more.I strongly encourage our state representatives and senators to vote in the affirmative on this bill and for Gov. Polis, who was one of the strongest pro-immigrant members of Congress, to sign the bill.
Unlike detention and prosecution of humans without due process, this bill supports the Fourth, Fifth Sixth and Ninth amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Bob Norris, Longmont.
