Polis Amendment to Cut Funding for Controversial Immigration Program Included in Omnibus Funding Bill

Press Release

Representative Jared Polis (CO-02) today applauded the inclusion of his plan to cut funding for the controversial 287(g) immigration enforcement program in the FY2014 Omnibus Funding Bill. 287(g) is a program that trains local police officers to act as immigration officials, creating a climate of fear in Latino and immigrant communities.

"Cutting the wasteful funding for the 287(g) program is an important step in weeding racial profiling out of law enforcement and reducing the distrust that many immigrants have of their local police," said Representative Polis. "This move sends a clear message that 287(g) has no place in our communities or in our budget and is a step forward in fixing our broken immigration system and restoring the rule of law. I will continue to fight to eliminate the remaining funding for 287(g) and all programs that hinder real progress on immigration reform. "

The FY2014 Omnibus Bill cuts the funding for the 287(g) program from a proposed $68.3 million to $24.3 million, sufficient to support only the 36 remaining "jail model" 287(g) agreements.

The program had come under fire after practices sanctioned in Arizona, including racial profiling of Latinos in Maricopa County, led to an unprecedented civil rights investigation by the Department of Justice. An independent civil suit resulted in Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio acknowledging that the Department of Homeland Security had directed him and his officers to use racial profiling as part of their policing practices in identifying individuals for deportation.

Source