Sometimes it takes a wide diversity of people to stop bad legislative proposals. A recent campaign involving the Northern California ACLU and a broad coalition of allies embodies this: immigrant right groups and law enforcement organizations came together to challenge the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act - a piece of legislation that would have compromised the rights of immigrants and overwhelmed local law enforcement officers.
If passed, the CLEAR Act would have required state and local governments to take on immigration oversight as part of their duties. The Act would have jeopardized the safety of our communities by forcing local law officers to take on additional responsibilities -- those of immigration agents -- in addition to raising immigration offenses from a civil to a criminal offense.
Building a diverse and strong coalition was one of the goals of the Northern California ACLU affiliate in their strategy to prevent this dangerous legislation from gaining momentum. The coalition included groups not typically thought of active within the civil liberties movement but who proved essential in garnering broad support for the campaign. For example, one key coalition member was the California Police Chiefs Association who testified to the perils of the Clear Act to law enforcement. Hearing directly from officers who would be carrying out the Act's directives and found the Act objectionable convinced many supporters of the legislation to reconsider their position.
The group's grassroots action plan focused a powerful spotlight on State Representatives through fax, phone, email, letters, and in district meetings. The coalition embarked on a massive public awareness campaign: spreading the truth about the Clear Act's dangerous requirements and letting local people know how to get involved.
After this hard work, the coalition partners were able to celebrate when the legislation was killed, bill supporters lacking even enough support to be brought up for a vote. In fact, opposition to the Clear Act was so strong that even a second attempt to pass the language as an amendment failed.
The coalition of dedicated and passionate individuals representing all political affiliations was critical for victory, and was responsible for galvanizing overwhelming opposition to the Clear Act in Northern California.