Orange County Justice Fund

ALT We denounce Governor Newsom’s cruel, callous, and cowardly decision to veto this common-sense solution. When policy-making is driven by vanity and crass ambition rather than sound judgment, all Californians suffer. People across the country from all walks of life are increasingly recognizing that the “double-punishment” of immigrants who have already served their time is deeply unjust. The stories of community members who have faced this double-punishment have inspired an outpouring of public support. The Governor may claim that he supports rehabilitation and second chances. Yet he cannot praise rehabilitation in one breath, but condone the racist targeting of immigrants for detention and deportation in the next. Today’s veto can only be seen in the context of the Governor’s past harmful actions, including separating children from their families for deportation during his tenure as San Francisco Mayor. We urge the Governor to examine his own biases and prejudices...

ALT and to embrace policies that uphold our shared values of transformation and compassion. One step, which the Governor refused to take during our campaign, would be to meet with formerly incarcerated civil rights leaders who experienced the pain of double-punishment first hand. Make no mistake: our commitment to equality, justice, and common humanity is unending and unequivocal. With our communities, we will continue to advocate, organize, and escalate as long as it takes to end the disgraceful practice of double punishment. A strong consensus had emerged in favor of the HOME Act, with strong support from over 100 faith, labor, and community organizations and criminal-legal system reform advocates, famed Labor Leader Dolores Huerta and Retired Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell. Several states, including Oregon, Illinois, and Washington, DC, have already enacted much further-reaching legislation; today’s veto cements California’s retrogression on these issues.

ALT HOME Act by Asm. Wendy Carrillo heads to Gov. Newsom’s desk after passing Senate with overwhelming support Powerful consensus emerges for bill to limit “double punishment” of immigrant Californians who serve their time in prison and qualify for existing criminal justice reforms Sacramento, CA - Today, by a vote of 29-9, the California Senate passed AB 1306, the HOME Act (Harmonizing Our Measures for Equality), authored by Asm. Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), with Senator Scott Wiener serving as floor manager. The bill would ensure that immigrant Californians who earn release from state prison under existing, broadly-supported criminal justice reforms can come home instead of being cruelly transferred to ICE. The measure now heads to the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom, who has until Oct. 14 to sign it. The HOME Act’s passage comes in the wake of an alarming report featured in the LA Times ....

ALT Assemblymember Carrillo stated: “Today, with AB 1306, the HOME Act heading to the Governor's desk, the Legislature took a bold position to stop ICE transfers between CDRC and Immigration Customs Enforcement, ultimately ending the double punishment of immigrants whose convictions are the subject of criminal justice reforms already signed into law.” “It’s hard to contain the tears," said Laura Hernandez, ED of @MigrantFreedom. "Knowing that ppl who qualify for release under existing reforms would not be subjected to a cruel double punishment simply because of their geographic location of birth!" Sandra Castañeda, an impacted leader who testified for the bill added: "The #HOMEAct is a small change, but it would have made all the difference in my life. I look forward to the Gov. @GavinNewsom signing the bill and advancing our goals of equity and justice."