The California TRUST Act (AB 1081) has now passed both houses of the state’s legislature and is awaiting Governor Jerry Brown’s signature.  Passage of the TRUST Act would be an important step toward mitigating the harmful impact of the Secure Communities Program (S-Comm).  Immigrant advocates from across the country are calling on Gov. Brown to sign the bill into law.

Under Secure Communities, the fingerprints of all persons booked into jails are sent to DHS to be checked against immigration databases.  If there is a database “hit,” or if ICE otherwise determines it wants to take further action against the individual, ICE issues an immigration detainer.  A detainer is a request that the local jail keep the individual in custody for up to an additional 48 hours after scheduled release so that ICE may take custody.