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Breaking news: An end to ICE-police collaboration in three Oregon counties!

Last night, the Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices announced that they will no longer honor ICE holds. This news comes after years of advocacy by a host of activists and organizations to end a harmful practice that leads to unjust deportations and harmful collaboration between local law enforcement and immigration agents.

An immigration detainer or “ICE hold,” as it is commonly referred to, is a request from ICE to another law enforcement agency, such as local or state police, that the agency cooperate with ICE to transfer an individual from the law enforcement agency to ICE custody. In practice, this means that local law enforcement agencies will keep a person in their custody, even if the person would be otherwise released, so that ICE can take custody of the person. This practice can lead to deportations, even if the underlying arrest was unfair or unjustified.

For years, immigrants’ rights activists and advocates have been pushing for an acknowledgement of the discretionary nature of these holds and an end to this policy that has made communities unsafe and caused the break-up of families. ILG congratulates all activists and organizations that have been pushing for an end to this unfair practice!

For more information, see the Sheriffs’ news release: http://www.clackamas.us/sheriff/pressreleases/2014-04-06-CCSOPR-CourtRuling.html