On April 9, about 40 people from throughout the Greensboro community met at The HIVE, a collectively run not for profit community space in the Glenwood neighborhood, to discuss Guilford County’s impending implementation of section 287 (g) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.Greensboro resident Rafael Torres shared a story, translated by Dwinther Abreu, about driving down Guilford College road when an officer from the Guilford County sheriffs department stopped his car. Sitting in the passenger’s seat, his wife was asked for her identification.

“Racial profiling is happening here even without 287 (g),” said Joe Frierson, Beloved Community Center staff coordinator for the Greensboro Truth and Community Reconciliation Project. “If it’s implemented, the difference will be that officer can take you to jail and run your name and determine immediately if you’re legal. Then, if you’re one of our friends without your cards then you could be detained until as long as it takes for ICE (Immigrations Custom Enforcement) to come and get you.”

“By that time, you’d probably lose your job, your car, and communication with your family,” said Yamile Walker.

According to the Government Office of Accountability’s (GOA) January 2009 report, this legislation “authorizes the federal government to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to train officers to assist in identifying those individuals who are in the country illegally.” Such an agreement is referred to as a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)

On March 30, the Greensboro News and Record reported on a public forum at the International Christian Church.

“My officers will only be checking on the status of anyone who has already been arrested for a crime,” said Barnes to over 200 people in attendance. “If one of my officers sees you (in public), they are not going to come up to you and ask you what is your status?”

In April 2007, Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes applied for this agreement. program, which would be funded by a federal grant.

“It is meant to go after criminals like terrorists, murderers, and rapists,” said ’99 alumus Lori Khamala, Project Voice Regional Organizer for American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). “However, it has been grossly misused (in other counties).”

Khamala cited the GOA report as a source that describes problems with the usage and implementation of 287 (g) by local authorities. She discussed the issue of interrogation before arrests.

The GOA report states, “according to ICE officials and other ICE documentation, 287(g) authority is to be used in connection with an arrest for a state offense; however, the signed agreement that lays out the 287(g) authority for participating agencies does not address when the authority is to be used. While all 29 MOAs we reviewed contained language that authorizes a state or local officer to interrogate any person believed to be an alien as to his right to be or remain in the United States, none of them mentioned that an arrest should precede use of 287(g) program authority.”

Frierson reminded people that any misuse of the legislation goes deeper than any one individual’s actions.

“The problem is not just a person,” said Frierson. “We’re talking about institutional practices and cultures that support oppressive ideologies.”

Reverend Nelson Johnson, senior pastor at Faith Community Church, expanded on this idea that the issues with 287 (g) are not inherently written into it.

“You could have the best law in the world, but it you put it through a filter saturated in discrimination and racism, it’s going to come out like that,” said Johnson.

Johnson and other members of this anti-287 (g) initiative have sent a letter to Barnes asking him to delay implementation for six months due to a lack of discussion about the law’s potential effects on the community.

“We’re asking him to engage in a democratic process,” said Johnson. We really need to make a decision as a community rather than leaving it up to one man.”

This direct call to hold off action is supplemented by other measures including a petition, further discussion with county commissioners, and a “know your rights” educational campaign. At the meeting, people addressed practical concerns.

“We should set up transportation for the Latino community or teach them to ride the bus,” said King J.

“This idea reminded me of the alternative cab system they set up in Montgomery, Alabama during the bus boycott to get African-Americans around town without using buses,” said junior and AFSC Intern Laura Herman, who attended the meeting. “This type of creative action is so inspiring to me.”

In a later interview, Khamala emphasized what she sees as the root causes of immigration-U.S. trade policies like NAFTA.

“At the AFSC, we want people to see the connection of immigrant struggles in local communities to the broader struggle for fair trade policies,” said Khamala. “The movement for immigration reform is forced to be so reactionary because so many negative things are happening right now.