FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2023
Contact: media@freedomforimmigrants.org
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Governor Newsom vetoed a popular criminal justice and immigration reform bill late Friday evening, for now upholding California’s practice of double punishing immigrant community members.
The bill, known as the HOME Act, would ensure those who earn release from state prison under broadly-supported criminal justice reforms may return home instead of being transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where they face indefinite detention and the loss of their freedom for the same conviction twice. The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles) and received no formal opposition.
The following statement is from Laura Hernandez, executive director of Freedom for Immigrants:
“Governor Newsom’s harmful veto of the HOME Act is a step backward in the fight for fairness, humanity and freedom for our immigrant community members. Californians across the state broadly support the end of double punishment — a cruel, unfair and racist practice that especially harms Black and brown communities that are disproportionately policed, criminalized and incarcerated. When people have completed their sentences, we should give them the opportunity to reunite with their loved ones and rebuild their lives, not subject them to further trauma.
“In recent months, Governor Newsom has appeared to be busy elevating his own profile amid a national media blitz. Perhaps the Governor should be spending more time in his home state, meeting with Californians and learning about the issues that impact their lives. The Governor declined to meet with me and other immigrants rights and civil rights leaders who have actually lived through the unjust double punishment he’s so recklessly chosen to uphold.
“Make no mistake: Our communities are resilient, and we will not be deterred by Governor Newsom’s decision to stand on the wrong side of history. We are resolved to continue fighting to end the unjust incarceration and double punishment of all our communities.”
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Read the ICE out of California’s statement here.
Freedom for Immigrants (FFI) is devoted to abolishing immigration detention, while ending the isolation of people currently suffering in this profit-driven system. FFI monitors the human rights abuses faced by immigrants detained by ICE through a national hotline and network of volunteer detention visitors, while promoting community-based services that welcome immigrants into the social fabric of the United States.