Thread: Outraged in Houston

Originally Posted by USPatriot

It struck me as I was reading this,what the day laborers are doing is not too different then prostituition and in some cases probably is prostituition.

Houston prostitutes should Sue Houston if they are arrested since one of the supposed crimes is tax evasion.

Exactly what I was saying to my wife. Some justify illegals because they claim they pay tax. When they work job like this for cash, they are not paying federal income tax. So they hand out on the street corners waving down trucks just like prostitutes. The only difference here in Houston is the Police do nothing about it.

Originally Posted by Captainron

I thought all police departments were supposed to apprehend people with outstanding warrants. I know we've got this resistance going on with the federal enforcement--local enforcement divide. Oops, I just found out that Houston PD has had AIFIS since 1979. Don't know what to say. We have a similar obstinacy in this part of the country and among city officials. It could be that they are also afraid of being sued for "profiling." But at least you have the IAFIS available. Keep inching ahead; if they are not using that system they should be pressured to use it. I know that doesnt take care of the whole problem.

The problem seems to be our Mayor and Police Chief. They are the ones saying we are not a sanctuary city but will not allow police to check legal status.

The problem seems to be our Mayor and Police Chief. They are the ones saying we are not a sanctuary city but will not allow police to check legal status.

People who are evading warrants should NEVER be allowed to escape. No matter whether they are here legally or not. This is a different issue than overlapping into Federal Immigration Law. If a US citizen with legitimate documentation can be detained on an outstanding warrant, why should foreigners have different privileges? The problem is ascertaining who they actually are--since they may have NO documentation, at all. This has nothing to do with verifying legal immigration status, so there should be no legitimate argument that localities are encroaching on federal prerogatives. It is simply a matter of finding out whether someone driving with no docs is wanted somewhere else---and they do that to us all the time.

So how do you go about getting your locality to do the job? Don't even get diverted on to the politically charged issue of Sanctuary policies.(Leave that for later). Instead, focus on how your local police are going to apprehend any outstanding warrants, even if the drivers have no documentation to go on. This is one of the reasons law enforcement has gone to biometric data--phony documents. You could raise the issue of how well your area is doing in implementing and using these new methods. Say that you fear a lot of people are driving without having the necessary docs. and that maybe a lot of them are wanted by other police departments on warrants. You want to be safe from such people. Just try not to antagonize the Powers that Be. A lot of times, women with small children are the most effective pleaders for community safety.

From my own experience I know the Higher-Ups will most likely shut out your comments. That's what they do here, too. Perhaps gaining some allies among lower ranking officials would help.