The original York Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday said immigrant students in Long Island recently were suspended from school for alleged MS-13 gang affiliation based on what they called "weak allegations" and then were detained by immigration officials.
WNYC obtained documents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that listed school suspensions and student interactions within school walls as evidence of MS-13 affiliation. As evidence of gang membership,one ICE document stated a high school junior was "observed" at school "with other confirmed MS-13 members." Another stated a student was suspended from school for wearing clothes associated with MS-13. “No one should be subjected to suspension on a whim, particularly when it can lead to immigration officials tearing you away from your domestic, or ” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman in a statement. The group said at least two students suspended from South Country Central School District ended up in immigration detention facilities in recent days.
And the NYCLU has requested documents to clarify what information schools are sharing with law enforcement.
In an interview,the Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said police don't disclose what they consider gang attire but said there were specific criteria. "We don't publicly discuss the specifics for obvious reasons," Sini said. "We don't want gang members to evade our ability to confirm membership."Students who own been suspended told WNYC that Nike Cortez shoes, or Versace belts and anything with a Chicago Bulls logo could be considered gang-affiliated attire. (Bull horns are believed to be a symbol of the MS-13 gang.)
Source: thetakeaway.org