Thread: Phoenix Local Police: Immigration is Feds' Duty

Local Police: Immigration is Feds' Duty
October 9th, 2007 @ 6:52am
by Bob McClay/KTAR

Valley police chiefs, the Phoenix police union and immigrants rights activists have squared off over who should be responsible for enforcing immigration laws and how they should do it.
Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris was heckled by Buffalo Rick Galeener, an immigrants rights opponent, as he left a gathering at Burton Barr Library Monday, during which Harris and other Valley police chiefs said immigration enforcement should be up to the feds because it's too expensive for local police.

"If we were to decide today that we were going to do routine immigration enforcement, I feel we would be overwhelmed," Harris said.

Galeener yelled at Harris, "We like your team, but we don't like the coach. Get a new manager."

Harris took issue with officials of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, who said 80 percent of the 2,200 officers it represents are frustrated with a policy that prevents them from calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement when they encounter illegal immigrants while on patrol.

"Our union officers for the past three years, right up to August of this year, have told me that they 100 percent support our policies and position on immigration enforcement," Harris said.

Harris said PLEA has been unable to provide him with a copy of the survey results of the officers. He said his legal team has told him it may be illegal for officers to call ICE to report illegal immigrants.

Galeener insisted local police have a duty to arrest anyone who breaks immigration laws. He said local agencies cannot put responsibility off on the federal government.

"Do we not have the money to go after bank robbers?" he asked. "Are we going to one day have our police tell us, 'We can't afford to go after bank robbers. That's a federal crime. That will have to be done by the FBI.'"

Galeener added, "I'm sorry, but American citizens just don't buy it. We're not stupid."

Ralph Trantor of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police said, when it comes to illegal immigration, officers can't focus on one particular group.

"Focusing on any particular group is strictly illegal," Trantor said. "Immigration enforcement is governed by one of our most valued rights, the Fourth Amendment, and that's the right protecting citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures."

Immigrants rights activist Elias Bermudez, said rights violations do happen.

"Because there are police officers, individual police officers who are stopping people because they look Hispanic, they are stopping people on small, minor traffic violations, and they end up in immigration court," Bermudez said.
http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=614795

"Because there are police officers, individual police officers who are stopping people because they look Hispanic, they are stopping people on small, minor traffic violations, and they end up in immigration court," Bermudez said.

Whinning.....if the get stopped and can not produce identification....then away they go...heck it happened to me...I was pulled over as a young person and had no id....guess what...I had to go down town...and prove who I was...My parents were not to happy showing up to the cop shop...with id for me at 1am in the morning....
PS I learned to carry id and to use turn signals

they are stopping people on small, minor traffic violations,

So according to this crackpot you shouldn't be stopped unless its a major traffic offense like killing someone? And this is what Spitface wants to give drivers licences to. yee gads!