Law Enforcement Officials Call for Immigration Reform
Immigration Matters
America's Voice, Column, Maribel Hastings, Posted: Nov 12, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "Americans want a solution to our immigration dilemma, as do law enforcement officials across this nation. But the solution isn't turning every local police department into an arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
That isn't a quote from a pro-immigration activist. It's from an editorial that the former Chief of Police of Los Angeles, William J. Bratton, wrote in the Los Angeles Times.
Bratton isn't alone. Over the course of this year, there have been various reports and events at which law enforcement officials have come out as allies in support of immigration reform. Their reasons are obvious: instead of concentrating on efforts to guarantee the safety of the communities whose trust they must secure in order to protect them, dozens of police departments are diverting time and agents toward immigration enforcement.
Ron Miller, Chief of Police of Topeka, Kansas, summarized it this way: "We cannot police a community that will not talk to us. We need to work together as a nation to address immigration reform."
J. Thomas Manger, Chief of Police of Montgomery County, Maryland, described the consequences when the immigrant community fears law enforcement officials:
"An increase in unreported crime, reluctant victims and witnesses, and the targeting of immigrants by criminals because the bad guys know that many immigrants will not call the police."
This year, the Police Foundation issued a report detailing how tasking police with immigration enforcement is counterproductive. It diverts scarce resources, makes them more vulnerable to lawsuits, and creates distrust in the same community police are ostensibly supposed to protect.
Art Venegas, former Chief of Police of Sacramento and director of the Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative (LEEI), lamented that national attention has focused on figures like Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona and his questionable techniques in implementing the 287(g) program (which allows local police to function as immigration agents) when police across the country are calling on Congress and President Barack Obama's administration to advance broad immigration reform.
"There are police chiefs and sheriffs who aren't doing what Arpaio's doing. They're the silent majority," Venegas told America's Voice.
The Republican administration of George W. Bush interpreted the defeat of immigration-reform proposals in Congress in 2006 and 2007 as a green light to intensify enforcement efforts and demonstrate a "firm hand" against the undocumented, even though the former president had promoted immigration reform. In addition to a physical and virtual "border wall," they conducted a series of raids which terrorized entire communities. Furthermore, they intensified the enforcement of the 287(g) program (which, in the spirit of full disclosure, was first implemented as part of the disastrous 1996 immigration reforms signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton).
The results have been terrible for the immigrant community and minorities, especially Latinos. 287(g) has resulted in racial profiling and other abuses illustrated to perfection by Arpaio, who is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice for civil rights violations.
Although more than 520 organizations defending civil rights, human rights and immigrants have asked the Obama administration to end the program, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided instead to revise the guidelines, in an attempt to eliminate profiling and abuse. For example, they did not renew Arpaio's authority to conduct "sweeps" to check for immigration status on the streets of Maricopa County, but did allow him to continue identifying undocumented immigrants who had been incarcerated in the county's jails.
However, this time, it's more typical to find police officers advocating for pragmatic solutions.
"The fact that many of these programs damaged the relationship between communities and local police departments didn't seem to matter before. But now local and state police are reclaiming their territory," said Lynn Tramonte, deputy director of America's Voice.
In the past, one of the concerns holding immigration reform back was that its opponents would frame the issue as a choice between the "rule of law" or rewarding lawbreakers.
"But the growing public support of law enforcement agents demonstrates that even from the perspective of the police themselves, the appropriate and realistic solution is comprehensive immigration reform," Tramonte added.
And in the search for Congressional support, police officials in favor of immigration reform are a persuasive ally.
Venegas admits that for many police officers, speaking out in favor of reform isn't easy. Some have even faced retaliation.
But there are more Venegases and Brattons around us all the time.
As Rick Braziel, Sacramento's Chief of Police, put it: "Without comprehensive immigration reform, we place our communities and our nation at risk."
Maribel Hastings is a Senior Advisor at America's Voice. Visit her Web site at www.maribelhastings.com
Related Articles:
Campaign to Make Immigration Reform a Top Issue in 2010
No Change in Immigration Policy
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User Comments
David Nichols- Gilbert Az. on Nov 14, 2009 at 13:50:06 said:
Mr. John Brannigan you are absolutely Correct!
Our Fourth Amendment Rights no longer E-sist since Homeland Secutity's Inception!
Americans have no clue of what the D.H.S. is doing against their knowledge and our very Principles and Right s that Built this Great Nation!
That Said: When Real Terrorists are interviewed they are given a clean bill of health, while over 400,000 innocent American's are being watched 24 hours a day with our most high tech U.A.V.'s with Infra-red and listening devices right inside the so called privacy of our Homes!
In direct Violation of our Constitution, and fourth amendment Rights, which actually no longer exsist!
I have much video for any who doubt it.
(These U.A.V.'s are even disguised as Phony Airliners so we don't know they are spying on us, WE THE PEOPLE!)
Sadly since 9/11 our Government has become Paranoid and we are no longer a true Democracy!
Our Founding Fathers would slit their throats if they saw what is going on now!
Higher Taxes on tea, I wish we could worry about sillyness like that!
To: Liberty!
DavisT. on Nov 12, 2009 at 16:42:11 said:
Rasmussen Reports and other credible polling shows that the vast majority of Americans and Arizona voters support Sheriff Joe and his enforcement of laws against illegal aliens. Furthermore. history has shown that "comprehensive immigration reform" i.e., mass amnesty, does not work. Therefore, the only logical and realistic way to solve this problem is to enforce our existing immigration laws -- which would free up millions of jobs for unemployed working class Americans. This is the real progressive and humane course.
John Brannigan on Nov 12, 2009 at 14:20:08 said:
When you give up FREEDOMS for security, you lose your freedom.
Immigration reform and bringing homeland security under control is Esential to freedom and security.
David Nichols on Nov 12, 2009 at 13:36:16 said:
Britanilus; You Just don't get it do you?
This Deportation and Persecution of these good hard working People, is what has Crashed our E-conomy!
(12) million homes both into forclosure and onto the E-xcess Realestate market virtually overnight, both Crashed our Banking System, and put a massive hole in the old "Real Estate Bubble"!
This Re-cession started at E-xactly the same time!
This has caused the un-employment!
Wake up!
America; Prosperity naturally follows Good!
To: Brotherhood from Sea to Shining Sea!
Brittanicus on Nov 12, 2009 at 11:30:47 said:
As with E-Verify the politically explosive computer Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program to eject illegal workers from work sites, has definitely proved its worth? The 287 (g) federal training program that deputizes state, county police with a right to apprehend illegal immigrants, has been under continuous flak to rescind it by powerful ethnic caucuses. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been intimidated to undermine ICE raids around the country? But E-Verify, 287 (g) has already embossed itself in the publics eye of it's enforcement capabilities and cannot easily be weakened. Public Outrage is like a gathering storm that is descending upon all politicians, who have given approval and one hundred who drafted a letter to President Obama demanding Comprensive Immigration Reform.
WE MUST JAM THE SWITCHBOARDS IN WASHINGTON, PUSHING OUR OWN DEMANDS at 202-224-3121 that bars illegal aliens from the health care insurance "exchange" OR ANOTHER TRAVESTY OF AN AMNESTY. YOUR VOICE IS MAKING AN IMMENSE DIFFERENCE TO HOW THE POLITICIANS VOTE? WARN THEM OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING PUBLIC OPINION.
NO NEED FOR ANOTHER DUBIOUS AMNESTY, ADD AMENDMENTS TO THE 1986 SIMPSON/MAZZOLI ACT.
Other pieces of relevant information contributing to the dilemma of US legal population:
1,200 Illegal Workers fired in Minnesota. House Members Urge President to Enforce Immigration Laws to Lower Unemployment. Friends of Arizona Businesses with Illegal Workers Take E-Verify Law to Supreme Court Senate Census allows to Count Illegal Aliens for Congressional redistricting . CBO Says New Health Care Bill Would Cover 2.5 Million More Illegal Aliens. Sen. Reid Kills E-Verify Amendment to Unemployment extension Bill. Pro-Enforcement Candidates win in Virginia and New Jersey. 68% of Americans Oppose Sanctuary Cities and States
You can learn about the corruption and incompetence of lawmakers at NUMBERSUSA. Court cases, political sleaze and immigration non-enforcement at JUDICIAL WATCH. How population growth will effect future generations at CAPSWEB. SAY NO BLANKET AMNESTY!
David Nichols on Nov 12, 2009 at 05:41:26 said:
Fact:
-->In January 2010 we can ALL Celebrate the two year aniversary of the start of the E-verify Law, the start of the I.C.E. Deportation Program, the start of this the worst Re-cession in U.S. History, followed by the Global Re-cession, followed by a Re-surgence of Racism in America worse than that of the 1960's!
The States that engaged heavily in the Deportation of good hard working HUMAN's that had been counted as their Tax Base by the U.S. Census Bureau as CITIZEN's for over twenty years, are now in E-conomic Shambles!
Phoenix for E-xample now has aprox: 30% less Tax Base, and the same Size Government.
(It aint gonna work!)
The Az. Politicians can't figure out why they can't make their Budget?
The Racist Sheriff Arpio has run off the very tax Base that was paying M.C.S.O's, and many other Government Employees Payroll, hes just not intelligent enough to know it.
Please keep Bailing us out America?
To: Prosperity, and Brotherhood from Sea to Shining Sea!