August 15, 2007

(Philadelphia) The leaders of two national American civil rights organizations, You Don't Speak for Me (YDSFM), based in Phoenix, and Choose Black America (CBA), based in Los Angeles, charge that politically motivated policies in New Jersey that shield illegal aliens make local officials complicit in the brutal murders last week of three college students. Sanctuary policies that explicitly bar local police from seeking and sharing information about a suspect's immigration status allowed Jose Carranza, and illegal alien from Peru, to remain in this country, leading directly to the murders of Terrance Aeriel, Dashon Harvey and Iofeme Hightower, and critically wounding Natasha Aeriel.

In spite of other serious charges pending against Carranza, including an alleged rape of a five-year-old, New Jersey officials failed to investigate his immigration status, or share information with federal authorities. Had this information been sought, Carranza would not have been released on bail, and four young lives would not have been shattered.

"All across the country, local officials have adopted policies that assure illegal aliens that police will not inquire or act on information about immigration status. And all across the country innocent people are paying for this sort of political pandering with their lives," charged Retired Colonel Al Rodriguez, chairman of YDSFM. "The tragedy in Newark is, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. There are countless examples of innocent people who have been killed or maimed by illegal aliens who have had previous encounters with law enforcement officials, only to be released back onto the streets."

"We demand that the politicians who set up these sanctuary policies, who prohibit police from acting on the suspicion that someone is in the country illegally, be held accountable when lives and families are destroyed by illegal aliens who go one to commit other crimes," said Ted Hayes, chairman of CBA. "We want Gov. Jon Corzine, Attorney General Anne Milgram, and Mayor Corey Booker to stand up, look the Aeriel, Harvey and Hightower families in the eye and explain to them why protecting illegal aliens from federal authorities was more important that protecting the lives of their children."

YDSFM and CBA, like all Americans, express their sympathies to the families of these four young people and share their outrage over these preventable murders. "Nothing can bring back the lives of three murdered teenagers, but there are concrete steps that state and local officials can take to prevent similar tragedies in the future," noted Rodriguez. "They can put an immediate end to sanctuary policies in New Jersey and seek training from the federal government to help local police identify and detain illegal aliens, under a provision known as 287(g).

"We cannot accept speeches or expressions of regret from government officials whose policies allowed these horrific crimes to occur," said Hayes. "The only acceptable response to this tragedy is an immediate end to policies that place the interests of illegal aliens ahead of the safety of the community.

Contact: Marianne Davies (267) 981-9017 YDSFM; Ted Hayes (213) 892-9065 CBA