Supervisor Proposes Program To Inform Employees About Rights In ICE Era

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer will propose a program Tuesday to train owners and employees of small businesses about their rights in the event of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid.

She was prompted to craft the proposal after a raid on popular South Park restaurant Buona Forchetta in May became a national story.

In the first half of this year, ICE agents have made hundreds of arrests, dwarfing the number from the last two years.

According to figures compiled by the Deportation Data Project, in January, 64% of ICE arrestees had a criminal charge or conviction. By June, however, more than 72% of ICE arrestees had no criminal charges or convictions aside from their undocumented status. Lawson-Remer said the increased ICE activity is disrupting workplaces and the economy.

Lawson-Remer said her Small Business Know Your Rights program is intended to protect people from being wrongly arrested at their place of employment.

"Small businesses shouldn't have to fear being shut down by government overreach if they have played by the rules," she said. "We're working to protect constitutional rights, uphold due process, and make sure federal fear-mongering doesn't threaten lives and livelihoods, or destabilize San Diego's economy."

Small businesses account for nearly 380,000 businesses in San Diego County, many of them immigrant-owned and operating on thin margins, a statement from Lawson-Remer's office read.

Her proposal "focuses on workplace stability, legal compliance, and dignity for working families in the face of unprecedented ICE activity," she said.

The Board of Supervisors will consider Lawson-Remer's proposal Tuesday during its 9 a.m. meeting.

— City News Service