Judicial Watch Represents Houston Police Officer -- Lawsuit Filed against City of Houston over Illegal Immigration Policy

For two years we've been investigating the Houston Police Department's illegal alien sanctuary policies. On September 21, we took legal action. Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the City of Houston, the Houston Police Department and Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt on behalf of Houston Police Sergeant Joslyn M. Johnson.

Sergeant Johnson is the widow of former Houston Police officer Rodney J. Johnson, killed in the line of duty by an illegal alien three years ago, on September 21, 2006. We filed this lawsuit on her behalf for one very basic reason. The Houston Police Department won't let Sergeant Johnson enforce the law

According to the lawsuit, filed in the Harris County Texas District Court in conjunction with Houston attorney Ben Dominguez II:

Sergeant Johnson challenges current policies, practices, and procedures of the Houston Police Department that substantially restrict, if not prohibit, Plaintiff from communicating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") about illegal aliens who are criminally present in the United States.

Plaintiff does not seek to detain or arrest persons in order to inquire about their immigration status. Rather, Plaintiffs seeks to use her professional judgment to determine when it is appropriate to contact ICE to inquire or provide information about a person's immigration status if, in the course of carrying out her duties and responsibilities as a law enforcement officer, she has reason to believe a crime may have been committed.

The complaint maintains that Houston's illegal alien sanctuary policies harm Sergeant Johnson's ability "to fulfill her oath and otherwise carry out her duties and responsibilities as a law enforcement officer," while also restricting Sergeant Johnson's freedom of expression.

The policy is dangerous.

On September 21, 2006, Officer Rodney Johnson was making a routine traffic stop when he was shot and killed by Juan Leonardo Quintero-Perez, a previously deported Mexican national, who had reentered and was living in the U.S. illegally. After reentering the U.S. illegally, Quintero-Perez had multiple interactions with the Houston Police Department before shooting and killing Officer Johnson, including at least one arrest for driving under the influence, citations for failing to stop and give information following an accident, and driving with a suspended license.

As the lawsuit notes, "But for the Houston Police Department's policies, practices, and procedures that substantially restrict, if not prohibit its officers from sharing information with ICE, Officer Rodney Johnson may be alive today."

Houston's illegal alien sanctuary policy is not only unlawful, but it has also placed the public's safety at risk. Sergeant Johnson simply wants the Houston Police Department to obey federal law, which will help avert more senseless killings and other crimes. Quite simply, the Houston Police Department needs to end policies that restrict communication between its officers and federal immigration officials.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/ ... ice-depart