Marijuana Policing and the Impact on Immigrants

Across the United States and in New York, the tide is turning against marijuana prohibition, but resolutions to deal with collateral consequences for noncitizen immigrants remain stalled. As marijuana reform has progressed, reforms to the immigration system have not.

Simple marijuana possession was the fourth most common offense among people who were deported nationally, and the most common offense among people deported with drug law violations. Just this year, multiple New Yorkers have been deported over a years-old marijuana misdemeanor, and plainclothes ICE officers are showing up in courtrooms and arresting immigrants.

Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo have pledged to take action to protect immigrants from actions by the federal government and provide legal defense—but allowing law enforcement to continue to arrest people for low-level possession unnecessarily puts families and communities in danger in the first place.

Join us for a community conversation about how we can use marijuana reform as a platform to increase safety and security for noncitizen immigrants.

Speakers include:

• Anthony Posada, Legal Aid Society
• Marie Mark, Immigrant Defense Project
• Ben Ndugga-Kabuye, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
• Kumar Rao, Center for Popular Democracy
• Verónica Bayetti Flores, Mijente
• Chris Alexander, Drug Policy Alliance

Opening remarks by Nelson Guerrero, Cannabis Cultural Association

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