Thread: Should Local Police Enforce Immigration?

Should Local Police Enforce Immigration?
April 26, 2007 - 12:38pm

Mark Segraves, WTOP Radio
WASHINGTON - The issue of whether local police can enforce immigration laws is the focus of a lawsuit in California, and it could be coming to a D.C.-area court near you.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says her department is charged with enforcing criminal laws, and is prohibited from asking about immigration status.

"We do not enforce civil immigration laws, and if an officer interacts with a person on the street and asks for your identification, we're not asking for your legal status."

But Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, says local police should be enforcing all the laws.

"I'm concerned with our ability to deal with violent gangs like MS-13 if local police can't use federal immigration laws."

Judicial Watch is suing the Los Angeles Police Department over this issue. LAPD follows Special Order 40, which prohibits officers from asking about a persons' immigration status. Fitton says his group is considering taking the District to court or seeking a remedy through Congress.

"The handcuffs need to come off our local police."

Lanier dosen't seem worried about a court challenge.

"I think we've been sued a couple of times before."

Lanier says because of the large number of immigrants who live and work in the District, it's imperative that officers don't do anything that would deter people from reporting crimes.

"Even just the misperception that we are enforcing civil immigration violations prohibits people from coming forward as witness and victims, which is pretty sad."

Lanier says it's up to federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement to handle illegal immigration.

"Our community is so diverse here, we're only hampering our public safety efforts if we start initiating enforcement of civil immigration laws. Let ICE do the enforcement."


http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1126071

"The handcuffs need to come off our local police."

AMEN TO THAT!!

Well, ICE, you heard 'em! You must have agents in DC...go "do the enforcement".

There is no way ICE can handle such a large problem with out the help of local police, its stupid to think they can. take the hand cuffs off!