Special thanks to advocate, attorney and journalist Robin Yeaman’s who wrote a piece profiling ACJP’s work in San Jose, and Reverend Pinkney in Detriot. The piece ran in the People’s Tribune, a nationally distributed monthly newspaper. In the piece, author Robin Yeaman’s also points out how people’s ability to effectively monitor and participate with the court process can be a matter of which state they live in. But in any state, families have a right to be heard, and a have a place in the courtroom!
ACJP in the News
National Immigration Project Releases “All In One Guide To Defeating ICE Hold Requests”
Authored by Lena Graber of the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, the “All In One Guide To Defeating ICE Hold Requests” is designed to help communities disentangle local police policy and practices from immigration enforcement. ACJP at De-Bug has been one of the key organizations in the Santa Clara County FIRE (Forum for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment) Coalition that helped secure the most progressive detainer policy in the nation, spearheaded on the Board level by Supervisor George Shirakawa. Our Coalition’s yearlong efforts are featured on this guide. As we’ve always asserted, it’s not public safety vs. immigrant rights, but public safety THROUGH immigrant rights. Post submission by Charisse Domingo
ACJP/De-Bug Member Wins Federal Civil Jury Trial Against Officer Who Used Excessive Force!
Three years ago Danny Pina walked into our Albert Cobarrubias Justice Project meeting at De-Bug with a cast on his arm, a busted nose, and a false resisting arrest charge — all for riding his bike without a light. He was determined to share the truth of what happened to him, and as it says in the paper, “bring the officer to justice.” He stayed committed, came to meetings regularly as he continued to work, and tried not to let the episode of injustice dictate the terms of his life. The District Attorney dropped the charges, and Danny, with De-Bug supporters, filed his claim against the city. When he city denied their liability, he retained an attorney and filed suit in federal court. They tried to offer him a settlement, but Danny wanted his moment in court. This past Monday, he had that moment, and he didn’t waiver from his mission. Continue reading
Gail Noble: A leader of change
Gail Noble is someone everyone should tip their hat for. She is a co-facilitator for ACJP De-Bug who is always lending a helping hand. I recently figured out that Gail has been making change since she was a teen in high school. Just another excuse to look up to her. Check out the video and quote below to see some of her amazing efforts for change – Submission by Cesar Flores Continue reading
Arizonification vs. Santaclarification of enforcement policies
Members of the Probation Department of Santa Clara County question an inmate during... (Gary Reyes)
The following piece entitled On Crime Policy, Takes a cutting edge — some say risk — approach in the Mercury News highlights Santa Clara counties strategies around realignment and immigration detainers — both of which were influenced by community input.
By Tracey Kaplan, Mercury News: Long overshadowed by freethinking San Francisco, Berkeley and now protest-roiled Oakland, Santa Clara County has been eclipsing its lefty neighbors lately — with criminal justice policies that critics blast as risky but supporters call cutting-edge.
From its controversial stand against a federal policy on detaining jailed illegal immigrants to its open-arms, welcome-home stance toward newly freed state prisoners, Santa Clara County has struck the kind of permissive chord that puts Fox News pundits in a lather. Continue reading
San Jose Mercury News: Some living in Santee neighborhood allege security guards roughing up residents
About two months ago, Isaac Gomez, Victor Rivera, and their family came to ACJP raising the issue about the local security company, Admiral, who has been harassing many people in their neighborhood including using eviction as an intimidation tactic. Victor himself was beaten up by security and their family served an eviction notice. Their family chose to fight back, and just last week, their family beat the eviction defense! Here is their story featured in the Mercury News.
San Jose: Some living in Santee neighborhood allege security guards roughing up residents 
By Sean Webby
Photo by Nhat Meyer
11/7/11
San Jose Mercury News
Almost 15 years after a San Jose neighborhood was so afflicted by street gangs that a judge ordered landlords to hire their own private security force, some residents say it’s the court-mandated armed guards who are a threat.
Five teens, several adults who live in the Santee area and a gang suppression worker told this newspaper that guards from Concord-based Admiral Security have harassed and assaulted them. Continue reading
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
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
De-Bug’s ACJP members featured in Mercury News article on prison re-entry
A front page Sunday Mercury News article focusing on California’s realignment plan entitled, “California prison realignment to put more low-level offenders on streets”features the story of two ACJP members Glenn Maxwell and Brenda Valencia. The article uses their story to illustrate how expensive, and often times unnecessary, prison commitments have been in California. Both Glenn and Brenda are great examples of community members who are working hard to be great parents, and contributing members to our county. You’ll be reading more about both in time to come on ACJP!
- Glen Maxwell (Karen T. Borchers/Mercury News)
- Brenda Valencia (Karen T. Borchers/Mercury News)
Albert Cobarrubias Justice Project 