Contra Costa County Interim District Attorney Diana Becton signed her name to a supportive amicus brief supporting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The amicus brief, filed on March 20, 2018, is comprised of current and former prosecutors and law enforcement officials across the United States.
“Dreamers are part of our diverse and vibrant community here in Contra Costa. We must continue to build trust with all residents. Losing DACA jeopardizes community policing efforts that are proven to be effective at solving cases and helping victims of violent crime. We need individuals from all backgrounds to feel secure and safe when working with law enforcement,” said Becton.
The amicus brief underscores how important immigrants are to the fabric of any neighborhood. The brief goes on to review the critical nature of law enforcement work is strengthened by a strong connection with the immigrant community. Further, immigrants may often fear reporting crimes or seeking assistance due to their legal status.
In California there are 196,670 DACA recipients, which is the largest number of recipients in the United States. According to the Migration Policy Institute, there are an estimated 11,000 eligible individuals for DACA in Contra Costa County.
The case is Regents of University of California, et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security, et al. (Filed September 8, 2017, 3:17-cv-05211)
The full amicus brief is available here.
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