Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, along with Fresno Chamber president, Al Smith, are currently in Washington DC for ‘Americans for Reform: Immigration Reform for our Economy, Faith, and Security’.

Sheriff Mims will be a featured panel member at the convening.

Both Sheriff Mims and Smith will work with Americans for Reform to convey urgency for immigration reform with a series of meetings, press events, and advertising campaigns over the next two days.  They will call on members of Congress to develop a comprehensive immigration strategy.

One of the immigration issues plaguing Fresno County is the involvement of cartels in the trafficking of people and drugs. Many of the residents of communities in the Valley where unemployment is high and large numbers of workers are undocumented are vulnerable to criminals that may prey on their desperation. Sheriff Mims recently brought attention to this problem in a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein where she called on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to shift its focus from auditing businesses to the more serious trafficking issues.

Said Sheriff Mims, “Immigration reform will mean better public safety.  Our current broken system undermines the trust and cooperation between law enforcement and immigration communities that are essential to community-oriented policing.  Our current system also creates opportunities for dangerous criminals to hide out in our midst, and it continues to encourage criminal enterprises that prey upon immigrants.”

600 leaders representing 40 states and 150 Congressional districts will be involved.