Today, a group of 55 New York-based immigrants’ rights, civil rights and social justice organizations–including NYC DSA–urged NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly to break his silence and publicly condemn, SB1070, Arizona’s anti-immigrant law.  Here’s the letter:

Dear Commissioner Kelly,

We write on behalf of 55 organizations representing diverse immigrant and non-immigrant communities throughout New York City to urge you to add your voice to the list of police chiefs, prosecutors and law enforcement experts from around the country who have publicly condemned the passage of Arizona’s anti-immigrant SB1070.

We strongly believe that laws such as SB1070, in addition to inviting racial profiling and discrimination, work to break down trust between immigrant communities and police, jeopardizing public safety for everyone.  Immigrant communities must have every confidence that reporting a crime, participating as witnesses in criminal investigations or interacting with police in any way will not risk compromising sensitive information such as immigration status that could lead to further local or federal law enforcement consequences.

On May 26th, eight chiefs of police departments in major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, met with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to convey their concern that laws like Arizona’s will increase crime in the U.S.–not decrease it–by driving a wedge between immigrant communities and law enforcement.  These chiefs joined a much broader group of law enforcement professionals who have strongly opposed SB1070 and cautioned against the strategy of charging local police with enforcing federal immigration law.

We were disappointed that New York City was not represented in this meeting with Attorney General Holder and that you have not made any public statements criticizing the passage of SB1070.

As you know, approximately 36 percent of New York City residents are immigrants and nearly 170 languages are spoken here on a daily basis.  Immigrants are vital to New York City, live in every neighborhood in each borough and participate in every industry here, including law enforcement.  New York has a proud tradition of promoting and defending immigrants’ rights and at this time of rising anti-immigrant sentiment, much of the country is looking to New York for leadership.

As the chief law enforcement officer of New York City  and as the head of the largest police department in the United States, we ask that you publicly oppose SB1070 and join the effort of police chiefs from across the country in conveying your opposition to Attorney General Holder and the White House.  We call on you to join Mayor Bloomberg, Public Advocate de Blasio, Comptroller Liu and the New York City Council in opposing the law.

Your voice would add gravitas and momentum to the growing national consensus opposed to discriminatory policies like SB1070 and at a moment of great uncertainty would serve to reassure both immigrant and non-immigrant New Yorkers that New York City does not share the counterproductive law enforcement strategy being implemented in Arizona.

We look forward to your statement publicly condemning the passage of Arizona law SB1070.