AZ-Should Tucson Police enforce federal immigration laws?
Should Tucson Police enforce federal immigration laws?
Posted: Oct 23, 2009 12:22 AM CDT
So what would this change in state law mean to law enforcement officials in Tucson? KGUN 9 On your side's Dan Spindle is live on the east side.
Guy, Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villasenor didn't want to comment on what might happen if those in his department were required to enforce federal immigration laws. But we did track down others on both sides of the issue who are concerned with the direction the state is going.
The Tucson Police department does not currently investigate federal immigration violations like some members of the pima and pinal county sheriff's depts. Larry Lopez, President of the Tucson Police Officers Association told me they currently follow department guidelines regarding immigration, but a new law could change the way things are done.
"You're right we do have rules that say we're not going to the schools unless of course it's criminal. If it's criminal activity we have to make arrests but we're not actively going to go into a school. We're not actively going to go into a church," said Lopez. According to Lopez, the department will follow whatever state law is on the books.
Republican Representative Vic Williams wants to be sure *some measure passes to crack down on illegal immigration and told me this isn't about race. "In no way are we trying to design laws based on racial profiling. We're trying to avoid that and encourage and promote legal immigration in this country. It's the illegal immigration we're trying to set back."
But others feel the latest push to pass a measure similar to the one voters rejected in the past is playing politics. Alessandra Soler Meetze, State Director for the American Civil Liberties Union, is worried about "rampant racial profiling" and told me Russell Pearce is trying to score political points. "Does it really make sense for our legislative leaders to be focusing and calling a special session on immigration when we have more than a billion dollar budget deficit?">
The state ACLU director also told me the role of police and sheriff's deputies should be to investigate criminal activity, not civil immigration violations.
Dan Spindle, KGUN 9 On Your Side.
Dan, did Larry Lopez talk about the increased work load if some measure passes requiring local law enforcement officials to arrest illegal immigrants?
What he told me Guy, is that when it comes to criminal activity they're the first ones on the scene. In 2006, then Governor Napolitano vetoed a bill criminalizing illegal immigration.
In 2010 though, backers of this latest proposition hope to take it straight to you the voters.
Thanks, Dan.
Should Tucson Police enforce federal immigration laws?
Dan Spindle reports on a proposition that could change the way Tucson Police treat illegal immigrants.
http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=11370413#
