Dear friend,

Imagine a family being ripped apart after a routine loitering arrest. It can happen in New York State. The federal Secure Communities (S-Comm) program is the reason why. You can do something about it. Start by signing our Say No to S-Comm petition!

Secure Communities targets people for deportation. Under the program, local police hand over the biometric data of every person who is arrested and fingerprinted – innocent or guilty – to federal immigration authorities, who check the data against Immigration and Customs Enforcement databases. If there is a match – whether correct or not – an individual can be sent to detention centers hundreds of miles from home and potentially deported.

S-Comm is a bad deal for all New Yorkers – immigrants and citizens alike. With little government oversight or public accountability, S-Comm tears families apart, encourages racial profiling and threatens civil rights. It weakens public safety by creating distrust between police and immigrant communities.

We need to send Governor Cuomo a clear message: Withdraw the state from this misguided program. You can help protect New York families. Sign our Say No to S-Comm petition!

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has misled New Yorkers about S-Comm.

In May 2010, New York State quietly entered into an agreement with the federal government regarding S-Comm with the understanding that local jurisdictions could decide whether to participate in the program. Later, the DHS said that participation is mandatory.

DHS hypes S-Comm as a public safety measure targeting dangerous criminals, but federal data show that the vast majority (about 80 percent) who were deported through the program had been picked up for low-level violations or had no criminal records.

As the grandson of immigrant shopkeepers, Governor Cuomo embodies the legacy of immigrants’ enduring contributions to our culture and heritage. In early April, the governor said: “While other parts of the country are building walls and fences, we’re pointing to the Lady in the Harbor who holds the torch and says, ‘We are the beacon of liberty and the beacon of opportunity.’”

Hold the governor true to his words. Urge him to reject S-Comm.