CASA of Maryland
Encyclopedia
CASA of Maryland (Spanish: CASA de Maryland) is a Latino and immigration advocacy-and-assistance organization based in Maryland
. It is active throughout the state, but has major foci in Prince George's County
, Montgomery County
and Baltimore. CASA influences Maryland politics on a wide range of policies, ranging from law-enforcement to education.
CASA was founded in 1985 in the basement of the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church by US citizens and Central American immigrants. It has since expanded its scope.
It is affiliate organization of the National Council of La Raza
.
They are a member of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
CASA is also a founding member of the National Capital Immigration Coalition, which promotes "comprehensive immigration reform".
In June 2010, CASA opened a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) multicultural center in the heart of Langley Park and located in the former Langley Park mansion
.
The project was budgeted at $31 million in 2007. Governor Martin O'Malley
, a Democrat, said at the fundraising kickoff for the project, "In our Maryland, there's no such thing as a spare American".
CASA is very aggressive in pursuing absconding employers, contractors who do not pay their day-laborers.
CASA is also involved in housing law and advocacy. In 2004, CASA attorney Kimberley A. Propeack told the Daily Record that the group's housing attorney represents immigrants who are targeted by landlords if they raise concerns or try to form residents' associations.
CASA has rescued a number of victims of domestic slavery, also known as human trafficking
.
. The centers have sparked protests and counter-protests.
The center near Shady Grove was damaged by a fire within its first month of operation; the fire was ruled to be arson and classified a "hate incident" by county police.
The centers allow day laborers to seek work without violating Gaithersburg's anti-solicitation ordinance, a controversial law that makes it a misdemeanor to conduct hires in public places.
Most of the opposition centers around the assumption that many of the day-laborers in Montgomery County are undocumented workers, mostly from Central America
.
CASA opened an employment center in Baltimore
on December 20, 2007. The center is funded by foundations and Community Development Block Grant
funds; renovation of the building housing the center was funded by the City of Baltimore and an anonymous donor. According to Maryland Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Thomas Perez
, "Labor centers are the most cost-effective investment of government money I can imagine ... We're providing employment, addressing public safety by creating an orderly process, keeping people from street corners and protecting workers." The opening was applauded by local labor groups, immigrant advocates, and city leaders. Local residents had been pushing for an alternative to street-corner hiring.
from George Soros
' Open Society Institute
.
Other funding sources include the Annie E. Casey Foundation
and United Way.
CASA received $1.5 million from CITGO
, the state-owned Venezuela
n petroleum products corporation, in 2008 to fund educational, training, and economic-development programs.
, who may not legally be employed in any capacity in the US.
to CASA ignited some controversy, including a case of arson.
The site, located outside both Gaithersburg and Rockville, was a service park behind a Department of Liquor Control warehouse, and was opened as a temporary location. Because of the site's location, the county had sole control over the site approval process; although the county Planning Board had to undertake a mandatory referral process, the planning rules allowed County Executive Isiah Leggett
to make the ultimate decision.
The site stirred worry in nearby Derwood and other communities. Some residents expressed concerns about the proposal.
In a letter to The Gazette, Brad Botwin announced that he was forming a group called Help Save Maryland because of "growing abuses of official power", specifically the day-labor center near Shady Grove. Botwin characterized the center as "a taxpayer-funded illegal worker pickup center on property slated for job-creating high-tech companies and a needed fire station."
Botwin, a member of the Shady Grove Advisory Committee and former co-president of the Greater Shady Grove Civic Alliance, was concerned over the center's impact on the sector plan implementation process. He said that the plan required extensive committee meetings and approvals, but Leggett did not use such processes in siting the center.
Pat Labuda, president of the Greater Shady Grove Civic Alliance and also a member of the Shady Grove Advisory Committee, said "I think it's a problem that what Rockville and Gaithersburg don't want, Derwood gets". Like Botwin, Labuda was concerned about the center's impact on the sector plan. While Labuda supported the need for the facility, she expressed the wish that the county had discussed it with residents before choosing the site.
A Gaithersburg resident task force that had studied the day-laborer situation supported the proposal. Cathy Drzyzgula, a member of that task force, called the proposal "a middle path, since it pleases neither extreme, but instead the larger share of people who hold moderate views on the issue" in a letter to The Gazette.
CASA director of community organizing and political action Kim Propeack said "We consider providing people with accurate information about their rights fundamentally important to the people we serve, the local community concerned about public safety, and to the national community, which has adopted a bill of rights".
Representative Dana Rohrabacher
of California, a Republican, called the pamphlet "harmful to America" because it teaches illegal aliens "how to circumvent the law", and that CASA was "aiding and abetting criminal activity" by distributing it.
Torres later partially retracted this statement, saying that his threat to picket schools attended by Minuteman members' children was a "misunderstanding" made in anger.
Steven Schreiman, president of the Maryland Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, said "the threat shows an intent and it shows their mentality, and it shows them for what they are[...] They’re a bunch of thugs and bullies and they have a political agenda and they want to push that agenda regardless of the costs or consequences. Furthermore, they’ve threatened to go after us at our homes and our places of business, which is harassment."
Kim Propeack, CASA spokeswoman, said "People should not expect in a modern society to engage in a campaign of intimidation without having a response", adding that if the Minutemen "want to come to CASA de Maryland, it's perfectly legitimate of us to go to the Minutemen's homes and also protest."
(NCIC) database threatened to undermine Montgomery County's efforts. Ignoring a deportation order is an administrative violation, not a violation of criminal law; the NCIC is, by design, a database of criminal warrants.
Two police associations lobbied against the inclusion, saying that it would hinder cooperation from witnesses and victims of violent crimes who are in the country unlawfully.
CASA advocated that the Montgomery County Department of Police ignore these civil detainers. "These are people who haven’t broken any laws other than getting a traffic ticket, and they’re being arrested and taken to jail"], declared Kim Propeack, CASA director of community action.
At a meeting with Latino advocates in late June 2007, County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said that while he disagrees with the decision to put immigration detainers in NCIC, he believes police officers have no choice but to serve them. As a result, The Gazette reported, "the chief said he could not in 'good conscience' order his officers not to serve the warrants if he were told to ignore them by county officials. 'Get a new police chief when that happens,'" said Manger, who later clarified that he had no intent to leave. Manger, who was praised by Propeack for his accessiblity, said that the immigration issue "breaks my heart."
, Montgomery County police were still checking, and honoring, the NCIC wants-and-warrants notifications, albeit with some reluctance as evidenced in this statement from Chief Manger: "It's very important for the local police department to develop strong relationships with the community[...] That trust is being jeopardized
CASA's executive director Gustavo Torres said, "We dearly hope that the county re-evaluates its role serving as immigration police[...] The [county police's] enforcement of civil immigration law has severely damaged the faith of the immigration community in its county." , Maryland did not have a consistent statewide policy on civil detainers. The Frederick County
sheriff's office has deputies with specialized training in searching for illegal immigrants, while the Prince George's County
Police do not enforce immigration warrants as a matter of county policy. Takoma Park
has a policy of being a "sanctuary city" and does not permit its police department to arrest people based on criminal immigration warrants.
was against the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to improve the administration of drivers licenses for out of country applicants.
The lawsuit is ongoing, but is essentially mooted by implementation of the Federal Real ID Act of 2005. In response to Real ID, the Motor Vehicle Administration considered a two-tiered system, issuing Maryland drivers licenses and then another Real ID–compliant identification that would permit entry into Federal buildings and the boarding of airplanes. Maryland, along with several other states, was given an extension of time to comply with Real ID requirements. Governor Martin O'Malley
rejected the proposal, directing the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to phase in compliance with Real ID . CASA's Kim Propeack said "The administration is prioritizing political pandering over good policymaking" and that the governor "is ignoring all the support he's heard over the years for the system as it exists".
In November 2008, CASA filed a Public Information Act lawsuit alleging that the Frederick County Sheriff's Office violated the Constitution and engaged in racial profiling by performing immigration law enforcement functions under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
. "We're trying to shine a light on this program, which we feel has been kind of operating in the shadows," said Justin Cox, an attorney for CASA. "We have very strong anecdotal evidence of constitutional violations and racial profiling and the ultimate goal is to make sure the Sheriff's Office is being held accountable."
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It is active throughout the state, but has major foci in Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
and Baltimore. CASA influences Maryland politics on a wide range of policies, ranging from law-enforcement to education.
History
CASA was originally known as the "Central American Solidarity Association of Maryland". It is also known as "CASA de Maryland", as well as "CASA Maryland".CASA was founded in 1985 in the basement of the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church by US citizens and Central American immigrants. It has since expanded its scope.
It is affiliate organization of the National Council of La Raza
National Council of La Raza
The National Council of La Raza is a non-profit and non-partisan advocacy group in the United States, focused on improving opportunities for Hispanics. It is sometimes confused with La Raza Unida...
.
They are a member of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
CASA is also a founding member of the National Capital Immigration Coalition, which promotes "comprehensive immigration reform".
In June 2010, CASA opened a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) multicultural center in the heart of Langley Park and located in the former Langley Park mansion
Langley Park (Langley Park, Maryland)
Langley Park, also known as McCormick-Goodhart Mansion, is a Georgian Revival style estate mansion in Langley Park, Prince George's County, Maryland...
.
The project was budgeted at $31 million in 2007. Governor Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
, a Democrat, said at the fundraising kickoff for the project, "In our Maryland, there's no such thing as a spare American".
Activity
CASA offers health assistance, medical interpretations, English classes, financial literacy classes, vocational training, social services, leadership development, legal services, and employment placement for low-income families, particularly Latino immigrants and other immigrants. CASA provides legal support to the large and growing community of immigrants—legal or otherwise—in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. They have successfully promoted a wide range of legislation in support of the immigrant community, including a Maryland law that requires reasonable access to government services for people with limited English proficiency.CASA is very aggressive in pursuing absconding employers, contractors who do not pay their day-laborers.
CASA is also involved in housing law and advocacy. In 2004, CASA attorney Kimberley A. Propeack told the Daily Record that the group's housing attorney represents immigrants who are targeted by landlords if they raise concerns or try to form residents' associations.
CASA has rescued a number of victims of domestic slavery, also known as human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
.
Day labor centers
CASA operates five day labor centers throughout the state, with public and private funding; three controversial centers are in Montgomery County. These centers, run by CASA on behalf of the county government under contract, provide central sites where contractors can pick up day-laborersDay labor
Day labor is work done where the worker is hired and paid one day at a time, with no promise that more work will be available in the future. It is a form of contingent work.-Types:Day laborers find work through three common routes....
. The centers have sparked protests and counter-protests.
The center near Shady Grove was damaged by a fire within its first month of operation; the fire was ruled to be arson and classified a "hate incident" by county police.
The centers allow day laborers to seek work without violating Gaithersburg's anti-solicitation ordinance, a controversial law that makes it a misdemeanor to conduct hires in public places.
Most of the opposition centers around the assumption that many of the day-laborers in Montgomery County are undocumented workers, mostly from Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
CASA opened an employment center in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
on December 20, 2007. The center is funded by foundations and Community Development Block Grant
Community Development Block Grant
The Community Development Block Grant , one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs, and infrastructure development...
funds; renovation of the building housing the center was funded by the City of Baltimore and an anonymous donor. According to Maryland Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Thomas Perez
Thomas Perez
Thomas Edward Perez is the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice...
, "Labor centers are the most cost-effective investment of government money I can imagine ... We're providing employment, addressing public safety by creating an orderly process, keeping people from street corners and protecting workers." The opening was applauded by local labor groups, immigrant advocates, and city leaders. Local residents had been pushing for an alternative to street-corner hiring.
Funding
CASA has received funding from a variety of sources, including a two-year grant funding operations in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
from George Soros
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
' Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
.
Other funding sources include the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation was started in 1948 in Seattle, Washington, by UPS founder James E. Casey and his siblings George, Harry and Marguerite. It was named in honor of their mother. The foundation moved to Baltimore in 1994....
and United Way.
CASA received $1.5 million from CITGO
Citgo
CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a United States-incorporated, Venezuela-owned refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de...
, the state-owned Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n petroleum products corporation, in 2008 to fund educational, training, and economic-development programs.
Criticism
CASA works on many issues of concern to the immigrant community in Maryland, and as a result, CASA has been a source of controversy. Most of the controversy centers around allegations that the day-labor centers administrated by the group are primarily used by illegal aliensAlien (law)
In law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:*An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...
, who may not legally be employed in any capacity in the US.
Montgomery County day-labor center
Montgomery County's award of contracts to develop day-labor centers near GaithersburgGaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
to CASA ignited some controversy, including a case of arson.
The site, located outside both Gaithersburg and Rockville, was a service park behind a Department of Liquor Control warehouse, and was opened as a temporary location. Because of the site's location, the county had sole control over the site approval process; although the county Planning Board had to undertake a mandatory referral process, the planning rules allowed County Executive Isiah Leggett
Isiah Leggett
Isiah "Ike" Leggett is an American politician from the U.S. state of Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Born in Deweyville, Texas, Leggett attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and, after serving in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Army, earned a law degree from Howard...
to make the ultimate decision.
The site stirred worry in nearby Derwood and other communities. Some residents expressed concerns about the proposal.
In a letter to The Gazette, Brad Botwin announced that he was forming a group called Help Save Maryland because of "growing abuses of official power", specifically the day-labor center near Shady Grove. Botwin characterized the center as "a taxpayer-funded illegal worker pickup center on property slated for job-creating high-tech companies and a needed fire station."
Botwin, a member of the Shady Grove Advisory Committee and former co-president of the Greater Shady Grove Civic Alliance, was concerned over the center's impact on the sector plan implementation process. He said that the plan required extensive committee meetings and approvals, but Leggett did not use such processes in siting the center.
Pat Labuda, president of the Greater Shady Grove Civic Alliance and also a member of the Shady Grove Advisory Committee, said "I think it's a problem that what Rockville and Gaithersburg don't want, Derwood gets". Like Botwin, Labuda was concerned about the center's impact on the sector plan. While Labuda supported the need for the facility, she expressed the wish that the county had discussed it with residents before choosing the site.
A Gaithersburg resident task force that had studied the day-laborer situation supported the proposal. Cathy Drzyzgula, a member of that task force, called the proposal "a middle path, since it pleases neither extreme, but instead the larger share of people who hold moderate views on the issue" in a letter to The Gazette.
Rights pamphlet
Two immigration raids created significant fear in the community of illegal aliens and persons whose relatives or loved ones were illegal aliens. In response, CASA published a pamphlet with basic information about rights such as the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. According to the Washington Times, the pamphlet, "which features cartoonlike drawings of armed black and white police officers escorting Hispanic men in handcuffs and shows babies crying because their fathers are behind bars, is the product of CASA of Maryland Inc., working with other organizations."CASA director of community organizing and political action Kim Propeack said "We consider providing people with accurate information about their rights fundamentally important to the people we serve, the local community concerned about public safety, and to the national community, which has adopted a bill of rights".
Representative Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Tyron Rohrabacher is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 45th and 42nd, serving since 1989. He is a member of the Republican Party...
of California, a Republican, called the pamphlet "harmful to America" because it teaches illegal aliens "how to circumvent the law", and that CASA was "aiding and abetting criminal activity" by distributing it.
Minuteman Project
Statements to The Gazette by Gustavo Torres, CASA's Executive Director, that CASA was determined to track the leadership of a local unit of Minuteman Project, caused controversy. The Maryland Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a non-governmental watchdog group, photographed and videotaped employers hiring workers at day-laborer sites run by CASA, with the intent of reporting the employers to state and Federal officials as violating immigration laws. Torres told The Gazette that CASA would target the Minutemen: "We are going picket their houses, and the schools of their kids, and go to their work. If they are going to do this to us, we are going to respond in the same way, to let people know their neighbors are extremists, that they are anti-immigrant."Torres later partially retracted this statement, saying that his threat to picket schools attended by Minuteman members' children was a "misunderstanding" made in anger.
Steven Schreiman, president of the Maryland Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, said "the threat shows an intent and it shows their mentality, and it shows them for what they are[...] They’re a bunch of thugs and bullies and they have a political agenda and they want to push that agenda regardless of the costs or consequences. Furthermore, they’ve threatened to go after us at our homes and our places of business, which is harassment."
Kim Propeack, CASA spokeswoman, said "People should not expect in a modern society to engage in a campaign of intimidation without having a response", adding that if the Minutemen "want to come to CASA de Maryland, it's perfectly legitimate of us to go to the Minutemen's homes and also protest."
Enforcement of immigration laws
CASA promotes community policing over local police enforcement of immigration enforcement, a power historically reserved to the federal government. Montgomery County officials expressed support for this notion, yet the government's inclusion, in 2002, of hundreds of thousands of names of people who had outstanding deportation orders into the National Crime Information CenterNational Crime Information Center
The National Crime Information Center is the United States' central database for tracking crime-related information. Since 1967, the NCIC has been maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Criminal Justice Information Services Division, and is interlinked with similar systems that each...
(NCIC) database threatened to undermine Montgomery County's efforts. Ignoring a deportation order is an administrative violation, not a violation of criminal law; the NCIC is, by design, a database of criminal warrants.
Two police associations lobbied against the inclusion, saying that it would hinder cooperation from witnesses and victims of violent crimes who are in the country unlawfully.
CASA advocated that the Montgomery County Department of Police ignore these civil detainers. "These are people who haven’t broken any laws other than getting a traffic ticket, and they’re being arrested and taken to jail"], declared Kim Propeack, CASA director of community action.
At a meeting with Latino advocates in late June 2007, County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said that while he disagrees with the decision to put immigration detainers in NCIC, he believes police officers have no choice but to serve them. As a result, The Gazette reported, "the chief said he could not in 'good conscience' order his officers not to serve the warrants if he were told to ignore them by county officials. 'Get a new police chief when that happens,'" said Manger, who later clarified that he had no intent to leave. Manger, who was praised by Propeack for his accessiblity, said that the immigration issue "breaks my heart."
, Montgomery County police were still checking, and honoring, the NCIC wants-and-warrants notifications, albeit with some reluctance as evidenced in this statement from Chief Manger: "It's very important for the local police department to develop strong relationships with the community[...] That trust is being jeopardized
CASA's executive director Gustavo Torres said, "We dearly hope that the county re-evaluates its role serving as immigration police[...] The [county police's] enforcement of civil immigration law has severely damaged the faith of the immigration community in its county." , Maryland did not have a consistent statewide policy on civil detainers. The Frederick County
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
sheriff's office has deputies with specialized training in searching for illegal immigrants, while the Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
Police do not enforce immigration warrants as a matter of county policy. Takoma Park
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
has a policy of being a "sanctuary city" and does not permit its police department to arrest people based on criminal immigration warrants.
Lawsuits
CASA has launched a variety of lawsuits. One such lawsuitLawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
was against the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to improve the administration of drivers licenses for out of country applicants.
The lawsuit is ongoing, but is essentially mooted by implementation of the Federal Real ID Act of 2005. In response to Real ID, the Motor Vehicle Administration considered a two-tiered system, issuing Maryland drivers licenses and then another Real ID–compliant identification that would permit entry into Federal buildings and the boarding of airplanes. Maryland, along with several other states, was given an extension of time to comply with Real ID requirements. Governor Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
rejected the proposal, directing the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to phase in compliance with Real ID . CASA's Kim Propeack said "The administration is prioritizing political pandering over good policymaking" and that the governor "is ignoring all the support he's heard over the years for the system as it exists".
In November 2008, CASA filed a Public Information Act lawsuit alleging that the Frederick County Sheriff's Office violated the Constitution and engaged in racial profiling by performing immigration law enforcement functions under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287(g)
Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287, codified at , was added to the INA by section 133 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act...
. "We're trying to shine a light on this program, which we feel has been kind of operating in the shadows," said Justin Cox, an attorney for CASA. "We have very strong anecdotal evidence of constitutional violations and racial profiling and the ultimate goal is to make sure the Sheriff's Office is being held accountable."