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Support the Car Impoundment Moratorium in California

By immigrationprof

From SIREN:

WHO:  Legal and immigrant’s rights organizations in Southern California

WHAT: A press conference calling for a moratorium on 30 day vehicle impounds of cars driving by drivers who are unable to obtain a license due to immigration status.

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, November 6, 2013; 10:00 a.m.; Outside the  East Los Angeles Sheriff Station, 5019 East Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90022

The undersigned organizations are requesting that local law enforcement agencies and city and county governments in  California adopt a moratorium on 30 day vehicle impounds now taking place when a driver is ticketed at a traffic stop and found to be unlicensed in California due to immigration status.  On October 3, 2013 Governor Brown signed AB 60 into law which will allow undocumented immigrants who qualify to obtain a driver’s license. However, the law will not go into effect until January 1, 2015. As a consequence, cars are currently being impounded at an alarming rate  by cash strapped local governments that are anticipating a huge loss of car impound revenue when the new law takes effect in 2015. Therefore, it is critical that local governments and law enforcement agencies immediately  enact a moratorium on 30 day impounds until AB 60 goes into effect. It is anticipated that 1.4 million people will apply for drivers licenses when the new law goes into effect. However, today, poor hardworking families are losing their cars to impound yards which charge exorbitant fees for their release. The economic impact  on these families is devastating. Lives are disrupted, children are put at risk and  personal credit is ruined. Tickets and fines for driving unlicensed are already a deterrent for driving unlicensed. The loss of a vehicle is simply punitive.

Local governments have the legal authority to stop the 30 day impound and impose a moratorium. The legality of the 30 day car impound has been challenged in various jurisdictions throughout the state of California. Both the California Court of Appeal and the State Attorney General have concluded that law enforcement officers have discretion on whether to seize vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers. While immigration reform is stalled in the US Congress, local governments should act now to ameliorate the hardship caused by this unfair policy that targets the most vulnerable members of our community.

Individuals who have lost their vehicles during traffic stops will be available to interview at the press conference.

The following organizations will be in attendance at the press conference: Garment Worker Center; . Union del Barrio;  So. California Immigration Coalition (SCIC); Pomona Economic Opportunity Center;  National Lawyers Guild;  IDEPSCA;  Latino Roundtable;   Community Service Organization (CSO); California Immigration Policy Center (CIPC);  Pomona Habla; Service, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN).

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