‘TRUST Act’ Legislation to Reform ‘Secure Communities’ Advances in California Senate

On Tuesday, by a vote of 5 to 2, the California State Senate's Public Safety Committee approved the new version of AB 1081, also known as the TRUST Act.

By Jorge Rivas Jun 12, 2012

On Tuesday, by a vote of 5 to 2, the California State Senate’s Public Safety Committee approved the new version of AB 1081, also known as the TRUST Act. The [National Day Laborer Organizing Network](http://ndlon.org/en/) describes one testimony heard Tuesday at the Capital: > The committee heard powerful testimony from Blanca Perez, a Los Angeles mother facing deportation due to an arrest last year for selling ice cream on the street who urged the state to set an example for the rest of the country with the passage of the bill. "Immigrants in Alabama and Arizona are afraid today, but as my experience tells us, immigrants in Los Angeles, here in Sacramento and even in San Francisco, have reason to be afraid as well," Ms. Perez told the committee. > > "Blanca’s story confirms that ICE’s priorities are stunningly out-of-whack," said Assemblymember Tom Ammiano. "This is something I’d expect in Arizona, not in Los Angeles. Persecuting this courageous, hard-working mom for selling ice cream on the street is a ridiculous waste of resources. Today’s vote recognizes that S-Comm is sabotaging our public safety. The TRUST Act is the solution we need to begin rebuilding the confidence that our local law enforcement worked so hard to build, but that ICE has shattered." If AB 1081 becomes law it could be a significant blow to the "Secure Communities" federal program since over a quarter of S-Comm deportations are currently from California. [For more on AB 1081 read the story published earlier today.](https://colorlines.com/archives/2012/06/ca_senate_committee_hears_bill_to_counteract_controversial_s-comm_deportation_program.html)