Immigrants rights protesters arrested at Travis County Jail after blocking entrance

Several protesters seeking immigrants rights were arrested this morning after blocking the entrance to the Travis County Jail.

The protesters, 25 to 30 in all, have been singing and holding signs since about 8 a.m. at the jail as part of an effort to halt deportations, organizers said.

The group wants the Travis County Sheriff’s Office to reconsider a program called Secure Communities, or S-Comm, which helps the federal government identify potential deportation targets by comparing fingerprints of people who have been booked on various charges against immigration databases.

According to the group, 19 people a week have been deported from the jail since the program was begun in Travis County in 2009. Most were charged with small crimes, the group said.

More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/immigrants-rights-protesters-arrested-at-travis-co/ndBTx/ .