On October 21, 2011, just days after the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors passed a detainer policy praised by many community members, legal service providers, and immigrant rights advocates as one that balances public safety, honors civil rights, and protects immigrants, County Counsel Miguel Marquez sends off a letter to ICE notifying them of our County’s official stance. Click below to read the letter….
Month: October 2011
ACJP Sisters Win Brothers Freedom After 7 Years
Right outside the courtroom moments after the court declared these sisters would get their brother back after seven years of a prison sentence for a crime he did not commit. He was facing 30 years, and won an appeal after an unwavering persistence of his family. These are the faces of courage, justice, and family.
ACJP organizer Gail Noble given Patriot Award by Bill of Rights Defense Committee!
De-Bug’s Albert Cobarrubias Justice Project is proud to announce that Gail Noble has been given the Patriot Award by the Bill or Rights Defense Committee (BORDC) — a national non-profit grassroots organization based in Washington DC. The BORDC’s mission defends the rule of law and rights and liberties challenged by overbroad national security and counter-terrorism policies. Below is the biography they did on Gail that they shared on their site and in their newsletter. Gail has been an endless source of inspiration for us here in the De-Bug community, and that is why we are so pleased to know others can hear of her story and her efforts in the name of justice! check out the article on her! Continue reading
Santa Clara County Ends Collaboration with ICE, Creates Local Protections Against Controversial “Secure Communities” Program
In what has been heralded as the most progressive policy in the nation, Santa Clara County today voted in a new set of guidelines for civil immigration detainers, which in effect ends the county’s collaboration with Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE). Continue reading
Report Back from Santa Clara County Public Safety Committee Meeting Discussing Detainer Policy
By Cesar Flores
Today’s Public Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday October 12, 2011 was to consider recommendations from the Office of the County Counsel on behalf of the Civil Detainer Task Force and consider added recommendations from Chairperson Supervisor Shirakawa on proposed county policies relating to civil immigration detainers. Continue reading
When A Family Is Sentenced
Video by Jean Melesaine
This video was produced for New America Media’s “Growing Up Poor In The Bay Area” forum. 24 year old Moaseni Jr. Leasiolagi and his fiance Christina have 2 children, currently live in a 10×10 studio with his father and younger brother. They have been on welfare since their son was born and have been looking for jobs which has been hard since they both have criminal backgrounds.
Son’s Advocacy Steers Court Away from 2 Year Prison Sentence for Mother
This is Herlinda going through the ACJP ceremony of erasing her name from the case board! When this happens at ACJP, it means that the family member who has been coming every week to our meetings (her son in this case) finally won the justice they were fighting for, and their loved one is home. Herlinda was facing a 2 year prison sentence for a minor violation. The court was set on sending Herlinda, who has a serious medical condition, to prison. Her son Daniel fought for his mom, brought in the support of the ACJP/De-Bug community, and now she is home with her family, participating in an outpatient program. Their family is a powerful testimony to what is possible when a family and community stand up and refuse to be dissuaded from the justice they deserve. Be on the lookout for the upcoming video profiling this powerful victory!
Voices & Visions for Criminal Justice Reform
Check out the video of our forum on realignment. On September 14, 2011, over 200 attendees — parolees, probationers, families, elected officials, law enforcement managers — came together to participate in a community forum Santa Clara County’s criminal justice realignment plan.
All in the Family: Albert Cobarrubias Cousin Ashley Trains ACJP members on Record Clearance
Albert Cobarrubias’s cousin Ashley is now working with the San Jose State Record Clearance Project. Her and her team came to an ACJP meeting and shared how community members can clear there criminal records, and how her program can assist. We named ACJP after Albert, one of our founding members, who moved on to afterlife in 2010. We know he’s looking down from above, proud of his family and community.
The Feministing Five: Jean Melesaine
Check out the profile on De-Bug/ACJP organizer, videographer, writer Jean Melesaine. It was the top story for one of the largest feminist online media sites femisting.com!
By Anna | Published: October 1, 2011
I met Jean one sunny afternoon while she was in the midst of making this video. New America Media was holding a conference called Children in Poverty, and they wanted Jean to tell her story. Jean is a Pacific Islander, born and raised all over the San Francisco Bay Area and currently residing in the Hunters Point projects. For those unfamiliar with the San Francisco landscape, Bayview-Hunters Point is a segregated portion of the city, where most residents rarely venture. “The Point” represents a stark contrast to the rest of San Francisco’s expensive, predominantly white neighborhoods. A community on the margins, experiencing toxic pollution, unemployment and poverty, Jean calls this place home. Continue reading
Albert Cobarrubias Justice Project 