Organizations Opposed to the CLEAR Act
The Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act (H.R. 2671), introduced by Representative Charles Norwood (R-GA), would require local police to enforce all federal immigration laws or risk further loss of critical funds. This means that local police would now be responsible for determining if a foreign student is in compliance with her visa requirements, or if a worker who cannot immediately produce proof of citizenship or legal residency is in violation of our complicated federal immigration rules. These are the same laws federal immigration agents learn over the course of a 17-week training period.
The CLEAR Act would ask local police to get up to speed practically overnight, with no guarantee that their costs will be reimbursed in full. Moreover, local police have indicated in no uncertain terms that getting involved in immigration law enforcement actually undermines their main mission: the prevention and resolution of real crimes. These concerns have been echoed by state and local government officials, community leaders, and others for several years.
Even though the bill is its legislative infancy, some local police departments and associations, local governments, and community advocates have begun to express their strong opposition to CLEAR. A partial list of institutions and organizations that oppose this bill appears below.
For more information on the status of this legislation, contact the National Immigration Forum at 202.347.0040, x5989 (press office) or x5993 (policy department).
State and Local Police Departments
Boston (MA) Police Department
Des Moines (IA) Police Department
El Paso (TX) Sheriff’s Department
Santa Cruz County (AZ) Sheriff’s Office
Lenexa (KS) Police Department
Los Angeles County (CA) Sheriff’s Department
Newark (CA) Police Department
North Miami Beach (FL) Police Department
South Tucson (AZ) Police Department
Yuma County (AZ) Sheriff’s Office
Law Enforcement Associations
National
Federal Hispanic Law Enforcement Officers Association
State/Local
California Police Chiefs Association
El Paso Municipal Police Officers’ Association
Miami-Dade Chiefs Association
Police Benevolent Association (FL)
Local Governments
54 members of the California State Legislature
Houston Mayor Pro Tem Gordon Quan
Los Angeles (CA) City Council
Montgomery County (MD) Executive Doug Duncan
Washington, DC City Council Member Adrian Fenty
Government Associations
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
National Association of Counties
National League of Cities
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
Editorial Boards
Des Moines Register
Houston Chronicle
The Miami Herald
Tucson Citizen
Miscellaneous Organizations
314 organizations (64 national groups and 250 regional/state/local organizations in 34 states), comprised of domestic violence prevention advocates; conservative ideologues; faith-based groups; civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights watchdogs; immigrants’ rights groups; legal services providers and law firms; refugee advocates; health care providers; workers’ advocates; labor unions; businesses; counselors; and financial services providers have signed on to letters opposing CLEAR:
National
ACORN
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
American Civil Liberties Union
American Conservative Union and American Conservative Union Foundation
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Americans for Tax Reform
Amnesty International USA
Anti-Defamation League
Arab American Institute
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)
Church Women United
Church World Service IRP
The Committee for Inter-American Human Rights
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Doctors of the World-USA
Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM)
Family Violence Prevention Fund
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
Hmong National Development
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Immigrant Women Program of NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund
Immigration and Refugee Services of America
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR)
Love Sees No Borders
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
National Alliance To End Sexual Violence
National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies
National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM)
National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence
National Center on Poverty Law
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
National Coalition for Haitian Rights
National Council of La Raza
National Employment Law Project
National Immigration Forum
National Immigration Law Center
National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild
National Korean American Service and Education Consortium
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault (SCESA)
National Organization for Women (NOW)
Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA)
Organization of Chinese Americans
People For the American Way
The Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund
Service Employees International Union (SEIU), AFL-CIO, CLC
SHARE Foundation
Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART)
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Stop-Traffic
Tahirih Justice Center
UNITE!
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Regional/State/Local
Alabama
Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama
Arizona
Addiction Services, P.C.
Border Action Network
Border Watch
Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project
Tempe Hispanic Forum
California
ACLU of Southern California
American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Los Angeles and Orange County Chapter
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco)
Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California (Los Angeles)
Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence (San Francisco)
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (San Francisco)
Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa
Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigrant Services—San Diego
Catholic Charities of San Jose
Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)—Los Angeles
Child Care Law Center (San Francisco)
Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) (Los Angeles)
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)
Community United Against Violence (San Francisco)
Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc.
East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation
East San Jose Community Law Center
Filipino Civil Rights Advocates (Oakland)
Filipinos for Affirmative Action (Oakland)
Immigration Law Project, La Raza Centro Legal, Inc. (San Francisco)
International Institute of the East Bay
International Institute of San Francisco
Korean American Coalition to End Domestic Abuse (Oakland)
Korean Resource Center of Los Angeles (KRC)
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area
Migration Policy and Resource Center/Occidental College, Los Angeles
Riley Center: Services for Battered Women and their Children (San Francisco)
Sexual Assault Crisis Agency (SACA)
Shimtuh: Korean Domestic Violence Program of the Korean Community Center of the East Bay
South Asian Network
Colorado
9to5 Colorado
Boulder County Safehouse
Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Denver)
Fuerza Latina (Fort Collins)
Los Compañeros (San Juan Citizens Alliance)
Rape Awareness and Assistance Program (Denver)
Rights for All People/Derechos Para Todos
Connecticut
Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services—Hartford
District of Columbia
AYUDA Inc.
Break The Chain Campaign
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
CARECEN-DC (Central American Resource Center)
Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc. (WEAVE)
Florida
Catholic Charities of Orlando, Inc.
Coalition of Immokalee Workers (Immokalee)
Diocese of Orlando, Respect Life Office
The Farmworker Association of Florida, Inc.
Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (Tallahassee)
Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC)
GALATA, Inc. (Florida City)
Latino Leadership, Inc.
The Law Firm of M. Thomas Lobasz, P.A.
Office for Farmworker Ministry
Georgia
African Immigrant Communities Leadership Initiatives/US (Columbus)
Immigration Services of Catholic Social Services—Atlanta
Raksha Inc. (Atlanta)
Hawaii
Catholic Charities Community and Immigrant Services
Na Loio - Immigrant Rights & Public Interest Legal Center (Honolulu)
Illinois
Alivio Medical Center
Asian American Institute (Chicago)
Dominican Literacy Center
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights (Chicago)
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (Chicago)
The Immigration Project (Granite City)
Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC)
Latinos Progresando (Chicago)
Latino Youth, Inc.
Metropolitan Family Services, Family Violence Intervention Program (Chicago)
Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center (Chicago)
Peregrinos por la Dignidad
Iowa
Asian Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ACADVSA)
Assault Care Center Extending Shelter (Ames)
Catholic Charities, Domestic Violence/Sexual A.P. (Council Bluffs)
Cedar Valley Friends of the Family (Waverly)
Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault (Spencer)
Clinton YWCA, Domestic Violence/Sexual A.R.C. (Clinton)
Council Against Domestic Abuse and Sexual A, (Cherokee)
Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (Sioux City)
Crisis Center and Women’s Shelter (Ottumwa)
Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Program (Adel)
Crisis Intervention Service (Mason City)
Crisis Intervention Services of Mahaska County (Oskaloosa)
Domestic Abuse Prevention Center (Carroll)
The Domestic and Sexual Abuse Resource Center (Decorah)
Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center (Fort Dodge)
Domestic Violence Advocacy Program (Davenport)
Domestic Violence Alternatives/Sexual Assault C. (Marshalltown)
Domestic Violence Education and Shelter (Shenandoah)
Domestic Violence Intervention Program (Iowa City)
The Family Crisis Center of North Iowa (Algona)
Family Crisis Centers of NW Iowa (Sioux Center)
Family Crisis Support Network (Atlantic)
Family Service League Crisis Services (Waterloo)
The Family Violence Center (Des Moines)
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault Rape and Sexual Assault Program Polk Co. V.S. (Des Moines)
Rape Victim Advocacy Program (Iowa City)
Riverview Center, Inc. (Dubuque)
Rural Crisis Center: Domestic Violence & S.A.S. (Creston)
Seeds of Hope (Grundy Center)
Sexual Assault/Domestic Abuse Advocacy P. (Muscatine)
Tri-State Coalition Against Domestic and S.A. (Keokuk)
Turning Point (Knoxville)
Waypoint Services for Women, Children and F. (Cedar Rapids)
YWCA Domestic Violence Program (Dubuque)
YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter and Sexual A.P. (Burlington)
Kansas
El Centro, Inc.
Law Offices of Sarah J. Schlicher (Overland Park)
Louisiana
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans
Migration and Refugee Services/Catholic Diocese of Lafayette
Office of Justice and Peace/Catholic Diocese of Lafayette
Maine
Family Crisis Services (Portland)
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
Maryland
Immigration Outreach Service Center (IOSC)
Migrant and Refugee Cultural Support, Inc. (MIRECS)
Massachusetts
Brazilian Immigrant Center
Brazilian Resources and Services Network
Brazilian Workers Center
Greater Boston Legal Services, on behalf of its clients
Irish Immigration Center
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (Boston)
Refugee Immigration Ministry (Malden)
UFCW Local 1445
Michigan
ACCESS (The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services)
Domestic Violence Project, Inc./SAFE House (Ann Arbor)
Hispanic American Council
Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Okemos)
Michigan Organizing Project (MOP)
Relief After Violent Encounter, Inc. (St. Johns)
Turning Point (Mt. Clemens)
YWCA of Grand Rapids
Minnesota
Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis Hispanic Ministry Leadership Team
C.N. Realty
Jewish Community Action
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights (Minneapolis)
Minnesota Literacy Council
Waseca Area Neighborhood Service Centre
Nebraska
Immigrant Rights Network of Iowa and Nebraska
NE Mexican American Commission
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest
New Jersey
American Friends Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program of Newark, NJ
Catholic Community Services, Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Assistance Programs—Newark
El Centro Hispanoamericano (Plainfield)
Migration and Refugee Services/Diocese of Trenton
New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women
New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, Inc.
Wind of the Spirit, Immigrant Resource Center
New Mexico
Catholic Charities of Albuquerque
MANA de Albuquerque (Mexican American National Association of Women)
New York
Alianza Dominicana, Inc.
Asian Americans For Equality, Inc.
CUNY School of Law, Immigrant Initiatives
Cabrini Immigrant Services
Catholic Charities of Rockville Centre
Central American Legal Assistance
Central American Refugee Center
Centro Salvadoreño
Community Board 2 Manhattan
Face to Face
The Forest Hills Community House
Goddard Riverside Community Center
Greater Upstate Law Project (Albany, Rochester and White Plains, NY)
Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Union, Local 100
Latin American Integration Center
Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force (New York)
Lutheran Family and Community Services (New York)
Marymount Manhattan College Institute for Immigrant Concerns
New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) – Jackson Heights
New York Immigration Coalition
New York State Defenders Association
Rockland Immigration Coalition
Safe Horizon (New York City)
Sanctuary for Families (New York City)
Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice League (New York City)
Young Korean American Service & Education Center (YKASEC)
North Carolina
Center for New North Carolinians
Episcopal Farmworker Ministry
FaithAction
Latino Community Credit Union
Latino Community Development Center
North Carolina Justice and Community Development Center
Ohio
Community Refugee & Immigration Services
En Camino, Migrant and Immigrant Outreach/Diocese of Toledo
Oklahoma
Asian American Community Service Association, Inc.
Domestic Violence Intervention Services, Inc. (Tulsa)
Leblang, Sobel & Ashbaugh, P.L.L.P.
Oregon
The Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Salem)
Pennsylvania
CIRCLE - Coalition for Immigrants' Rights at the Community Level (York)
Detention Resource Project (Philadelphia)
Golden Vision Foundation (York)
Pennsylvania Immigrant & Refugee Women’s Network (Enola)
Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (York)
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (Enola)
PRIME – Ecumenical Commitment to Refugees (Clifton Heights)
Rhode Island
International Institute of Rhode Island, Inc.
Tennessee
Abused Women's Services of The YWCA of Greater Memphis
Garcia Labor Company, Inc.
Highlander Research and Education Center
Iraqi House
Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Nashville)
Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC)
Texas
ARCA (Association for Residency and Citizenship of America)
Association for Immigrants’ Equality and Freedom
BARCA, Inc.
Border Association for Refugees from Central America (Edinburg)
Catholic Charities of Dallas, Immigration Counseling Services
Catholic Family Service, Inc.
Citizens and Immigrants for Equal Justice (Mesquite)
Concilio de Inmigración
Equal Justice Center
Hines & Leigh, P.C.
School for All
The Texas Civil Rights Project (Austin)
Texas Council on Family Violence
Vermont
Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (Montpelier)
Vermont Refugee Assistance (Montpelier)
Virginia
Boat People S.O.S. (Falls Church)
The Hispanic Committee of Virginia
Office of Justice and Peace, Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Refugee and Immigration Services, Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Refugee & Immigration Services - Roanoke Office
Tenants’ & Workers’ Support Committee
Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Virginia Justice Center for Farm and Immigrant Workers
Washington
Broadview Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing Program (Seattle)
Chinese Cultural Association
Eastside Domestic Violence Program (Bellevue)
El Centro de la Raza
Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington (Seattle)
King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Seattle)
Law Offices of Carol L. Edward & Associates, P.S. (Seattle)
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (Seattle)
Washington Defender Association’s Immigration Project (Seattle)
Wisconsin
La Causa, Inc.
UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence (Madison)
Voces de la Frontera