Explaining the ICE project in Escondido

By Union-Tribune Editorial Board
Friday, November 19, 2010 at midnight

Robin Baker, the field director for the San Diego regional office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was recently interviewed by Union-Tribune editorial writer Don Sevrens about ICE’s controversial pilot project with the Escondido Police Department. ICE is responsible for enforcing immigration and customs laws within the interior of the United States. Following are edited excerpts.

Q: Would you describe Operation Joint Effort, a pilot program where Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officers are stationed at the Escondido police station? It was started in May without public disclosure and with nothing in writing.

A: ICE is cooperating with local police agencies across the country. But I think what we’re doing in Escondido may be the only one of its kind. As far as it not being announced to the City Council or the mayor, that’s honestly Chief (Jim) Maher’s question to answer. We’re going to go to the end of the calendar year and ultimately I’m going to make a decision as to whether we’re going to continue.

Q: How did this come about?

A: The (Escondido) chief and I got together and we reached an agreement to try this. The intention was not to do anything under the table.

Q: Are your deportation officers doing ride-alongs with the Escondido police?

A: No. They may have in the very beginning but they are not doing that now. The police officers in Escondido are not enforcing immigration law. They’re policing the community like they would otherwise. If they encounter somebody who has a criminal record and is not a citizen in the U.S., then we may get involved. There are a lot of cases that we’re passing up because they don’t fit into our enforcement priorities.

Q: If Escondido police officers responding to some incident were to ask all the people there for their immigration papers, would ICE be involved in that?

A: I don’t think that’s appropriate for them to ask for immigration papers because they’re not trained in immigration laws. I would be shocked if they were doing that.

Q: Are there any plans currently to cross-train Escondido police officers in enforcing immigration law?

A: None.

Q: Is there any indication that Escondido has more of an illegal immigration problem than any other community?

A: It seemed to me that the reason they contacted us is that they were seeing a disproportionate amount of prior deports back in the community.

Q: What about the concerns of civil rights groups and policymakers in some other communities of possible misperceptions being created, or of mission creep?

A: Well, I’d be glad to meet with anybody. You know there’s a lot of things in the Escondido city government that I can’t speak to and my partner up there (Maher) would have to address. But if anybody has concerns about profiling or that we’re doing something that we should not I’d be glad to talk to them.

Q: What are your enforcement priorities?

A: Number one priority is those who are a risk to the security of the United States or those who are a risk to the community. The second priority is recent border entrance. Our third priority is fugitives or those who otherwise obstruct immigration controls.



Q: If this is judged to be a success in Escondido, what would likely be put in writing?

A: Number one, that it has to fall within our enforcement priorities. Number two, we would never tell Escondido PD who to arrest. Number three, we would never go out and work area control with them just randomly asking people their immigration status.

Q: What are the numbers so far?

A: Well, 212 total apprehensions; 175 of those are criminal, the other 37 reinstatements of removal (people previously deported).

Q: There is a perception in Escondido that four or five families, presumably illegal immigrants, may be holed up in a two-bedroom apartment. Have you seen indications of that kind of situation?

A: Every day. We do what are called fugitive operations. These are targeted operations. This is an individual who went before an immigration judge. He was ordered deported. He did not comply with the judge’s orders so he’s out there and we’re looking for him. We go to specific target houses and there may be several families living there. It’s not uncommon.

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?

A: If critics knew how many tips we get a day from people living among these criminals and who tell us they’re here, they’re illegal, come and get them, they’d be surprised. They don’t want to be victimized any more than anybody else. And when we take these criminals out of the community in a lot of cases the folks they were victimizing are thrilled.

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