Thread: El Paso hailed for immigrant integration

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_16567294? ... ost_viewed

El Paso hailed for immigrant integration
by Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times
Posted: 11/10/2010 12:00:00 AM MST

El Paso is one of the top 20 cities in the United States for integrating immigrants into local communities, according to a recent National League of Cities report.

Police Chief Greg Allen viewed the report as good news for the city.

"The El Paso Police Department is proud of its reputation of respecting victim rights regardless of immigration status. We are extremely appreciative of the recognition given to us by the National League of Cities for our handling of these cases.

"The number one goal is to provide quality police service and protection to the community we serve, many of which are immigrants."

The report, "Municipal Innovations in Immigrant Integration: 20 Cities, 20 Good Practices," singled out the El Paso Police Department's Victim Services Unit and its treatment of female victims as a model.

"Most importantly, as victims of crimes, they are not required to report their immigration status to police," the report said. "A female immigrant who goes to a battered women's shelter has the right to keep her immigration status private. El Paso residents are not required to be citizens in order to get a restraining order and are also entitled to receive emergency medical care."

The league recommended a nationwide strategy for incorporating immigrants into the social fabric of U.S. communities, through partnerships with cities and states and social agencies, mayoral advisory boards and immigrant affairs offices, and by eliminating language barriers.

"Cities have a responsibility for promoting social cohesion, including helping to fully integrate their immigrant residents into the mainstream community," the report said. "The 20 cities in this report are meeting these challenges and are providing good examples of how other cities can create their own immigrant integration programs."

The report also praised Austin's Immigrant Outreach Program, the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs in New York and the Immigrant Advisory Committee in Boulder, Colo., among others.

Although law enforcement strives to help immigrants who are victims of crimes, El Paso still does not have a central place where immigrants can receive a community orientation or information about available resources.

The latest census figures show that a quarter of El Pasoans were born in other countries.

Historically, U.S. immigration officials have referred immigrants to faith-based agencies that serve this population, said Ouisa Davis, former executive director of Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services.

"However, we get people from all over the world," Davis said. "We may get people who want to know how to file their federal income taxes, or need to know about other things."

The National League of Cities represents 1,600 member cities and 49 state municipal leagues.


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None of this is good news to me. The only thought that comes to mind is UGH.

Barf.

Ever drive thru EP, biggest S H in the country! Looks just like TJ.
Barf

El Paso residents are not required to be citizens in order to get a restraining order and are also entitled to receive emergency medical care."

If they feel they need a restraining order they should go back to Mexico. I doubt their abuser will follow them there.

As far as "emergency medical care" goes, that's bs. If it were true our hospitals would not be over run by illegals getting care for colds, cranky children and everything else. Emergency rooms are outpatient clinics for illegals. That is free care for them. But we foot the bill and it's time for that to stop. They should triage every patient and if it's not an emergency, tell them to go see their doctor in the morning. They have no intention of doing that. Their free health care is bankrupting our hospitals.

I've lived in EP and it's dangerous. We only lived there because of military orders. Certainly not a choice we made.