Supporter,

Thank you for your continued support and feedback! We are happy to report that we've officially released this year's legislative scorecard and it's now available online. Also in this update, TPD unveils proposed policy changes, ColorLines launches La Raya Newsradio show, and our community leaders meet to discuss the organization's work.
Keeping you informed... -Ana

In this issue:

Border Action Releases "Arizona's Human Rights Record"
Tucson Police Department Reveals New Policy
Border Action Human Rights Promoters and Committee Leaders Meet
AZ Civil Rights Initiative Rejected Due to Invalid Signatures

Find out more about this year's scorecard..

Saturday, August 30, 2008
Tucson Police Department reveals new policy regarding local police and immigration

Since November 2007, Border Action, No More Deaths and Casa Maria have been working to change the Tucson Police Department's policy regarding undocumented immigrants. At a recent City Council subcommittee meeting, Police Chief Miller unveiled the draft policy to council members. While there are still two provisions in the policy that we are committed to eliminating, the policy has some notable improvements including prohibiting officers from asking people's immigration/citizenship status during traffic stops. Below is an editorial from the Arizona Daily Star regarding the policy.

TPD policy on immigrants will make us safer
Arizona Daily Star
8.20.08

The Tucson Police Department should be commended for a proposed policy change regarding when it will report illegal immigrants to federal authorities. The new rules should enhance public safety while maintaining trust between the department and the community.

The Star's Eric Swedlund reported Saturday that crime victims and witnesses who are suspected of being illegal immigrants won't be reported to federal officials and neither will those stopped for civil traffic violations.

We believe this is a step in the right direction.

Continue reading article...

During the August 9-10 weekend, over thirty community leaders from Border Action Network gathered at the Riverpark Inn to analyze and evaluate the organization's work, the political climate and to plan next steps. The group included representatives from Douglas, Nogales, Summit and Tucson. By the end of the meeting, the group laid out plans for Border Action's annual Human Rights Abuse Documentation Campaign, political principles for state legislative work, and developed work plans to expand and strengthen their own organizing in their neighborhoods.

Friday, August 22, 2008
AZ Civil Rights initiative rejected due to invalid signatures

An initiative seeking to ban government use of affirmative action in Arizona will not appear on the 2008 ballot initiative.

Secretary of State Jan Brewer disqualified the initiative Aug. 21 after the Maricopa County Recorder's Office determined that its share of randomly selected signatures for the Arizona Civil Rights Initiative had a 43.22 percent invalidity rate.

Max McPhail, a spokesperson for the committee supporting the initiative, released a statement soon after the decertification stating the organization was reviewing invalidated signatures to determine whether to file a court challenge to resurrect the initiative.

Opponents of the affirmative action-banning initiative cited the disqualification as proof that the committee had used deception to collect signatures, even though the proposal is the fourth to be disqualified this year due to a lack of sufficient signatures.

Continue reading article...

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