For the few of you who have not signed up for the illegal alien/open borders lobby alerts from GALEO in Georgia…one of my favorites. Some of it is even true!

The past several weeks have been very difficult and challenging for the immigrant community in Cobb County. Unfortunately, many are losing faith and trust with law enforcement officials in Cobb. That should be of concern to all Cobb County residents because overall public safety will be compromised. By pushing the immigrant community further underground, crime against immigrants and unreproted crime will likely be a result.

The efforts we have had reported to us in Cobb County lead us to believe that Cobb County law enforcement has moved from “To Serve & Protect” to instead focus on “To Arrest & Deport.” These tactics against the Latino and immigrant community will make Cobb County less safe for all.

Reports have indicated that Cobb County Sheriff’s officials keep changing the rules, procedures and processes in the jail. Instead of upholding the rule of law, they are making a mockery of it by not respecting due process that is afforded to all persons, regardless of immigration status. Serious questions have been raised, yet the Sheriff’s office insists they are only “enforcing the law.”

Here is a sampling of what we have heard:

Having been pulled over for faulty brake lights, a young man was arrested the other night for driving without a license. Though his hefty bond was refused repeatedly, it was finally accepted. His family and friends are still wondering why 48 hours later he has not been released.
Numerous individuals are terrified to go through with their scheduled court hearings and jail sentences in the fear of being detained and bused off with no warning to loved ones or family due to the rumors circulating in Cobb County.
It has become commonplace for Hispanic men in Cobb County to be detained after failing to show a driver’s license after being questioned for minor traffic violations.
Due to fear, a distressed husband and a child have had no communication with their mother, after she was arrested at a traffic checkpoint on her way to work.
A passenger in a car was arrested for not having proper identification. She spent four nights in jail with no information on a potential release date.
A Latina woman was the victim of an auto accident. After waiting to file a police report about the accident, the woman was arrested for driving without a license and was detained in the Cobb County jail.
It is time to ask serious questions about the tactics employed by local law enforcement officials, which lead to the incarceration of individuals in a Cobb County jail which has allegedly not followed appropriate due process for some of its prisoners. Cobb County is the Wild West where you have law enforcement officials targeting Latinos and immigrants and a Sheriff who may not be following due process of prisoners within the jail.

Cobb County residents that care about upholding public safety should demand answers to these claims and should also demand greater transparency within the jail and with the law enforcement tactics that are being implemented. Until these officials admit they have a problem and are working towards correcting the problems, then the immigrant community will continue not to trust them. If that continues, Cobb County’s public safety is in jeopardy.

Please call on the community in Cobb County to demand answers. Enough is enough in Cobb.

If you or anyone you know that has been a victim of discriminatory practices or profiling in Cobb County, please encourage them to come forward and report these issues to organizations that you trust.

We must watch closely these developments in Cobb County and work towards correcting these problems where public safety will be enhanced and not diminished.

Thank you,

Jerry Gonzalez

Resource Page for Immigrant Families

Please help us educate people to execise their rights! Critical information is posted on our website that would inform and educate people within the immigrant community of their rights.

This page is necessary for the community now, more than ever.

GALEO developed this as a need that was expressed by many immigrants across the state, with the implementation of SB529 and the stalling of broad immigration reform at the federal level.

If anyone experiences any discriminatory practices by any state or local agencies, or if anyone experiences discriminatory issues with any law enforcement agency, please contact MALDEF at 678.559.1071.

Please report any problems you may experience in order for these issues to be documented. Don’t let it happen to more people within our communities.

Step up and help us by filling out the INTAKE forms and then faxing these over to MALDEF. We need to stop some of the alleged discriminatory and possible unconstitutional treatment that people are currently facing. Help us document these cases and we need our community to come forward.

http://www.galeo.org/resource.php

Upcoming Events of Interest!

10/28/07: Labor of Love: Help us build a flower structure to demonstrate immigrants’ love for our nation.
12/05/07: GALEO Holiday Party
01/26/08: GA Latino Forum Annual Meeting