Thread: IL- Activists not swayed by Cal City argument

Activists not swayed by Cal City argument
By Gregory Tejeda
Monday, May 04, 2009
20 comment(s)

CALUMET CITY | When officials explain their hope to declare Calumet City a "safe space" for immigrants, they say they want to keep families intact.

The distinction they are crafting as they prepare their new policy is that this is not Chicago. It will not be a "sanctuary city" for immigrants regardless of citizenship status.

"If the police, in the performance of their duties, are able to determine that someone does not have a visa and is in the country illegally, we think they have an obligation to inform the federal government so it can be dealt with," said Ira Mehlman, media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington-based group that wants stricter federal controls on noncitizens being able to live in the United States.

"To basically create an exception for this one circumstance is just wrong," Mehlman said.

The measure being considered by Calumet City -- likely to come up for a vote when the City Council meets again May 14 -- would prevent local police from asking anyone about their immigration status.

Some cities in the United States that try to offer such protection to immigrants go so far as to ban police from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in any way.

The Calumet City measure is sponsored by 1st Ward Alderman Edward Gonzalez, who said local residents of Hispanic background have told him they perceive problems in dealing with police. Gonzalez, who himself is an officer with the Illinois State Police, said there is no valid reason for local police to be inquiring about a person's immigration status.

The alderman also said his top concern is families where some members are U.S. citizens and others are not. He said he does not want Calumet City police getting involved in cases that could ultimately split families apart by causing some members to be deported.

But Mehlman said he does not consider family unification to be a valid argument.

"If that's the case, maybe we ought to stop all law enforcement," he said.

"There's the potential for split families anytime someone gets arrested, but no one would consider that a legitimate point on any other issue.

"Why should it be a factor here," Mehlman said.

Rosanna Pulido, head of the Illinois chapter of the Minuteman Project that pushes for increased patrols along the U.S./Mexico border, said she is not convinced that Calumet City's version is significantly different than what exists in places like Chicago or Cicero, or in cities across the nation such as Houston, Los Angeles and New York.

"Whatever they want to call it, what it does is prevent police from doing their jobs in full," she said, adding that most potential confrontations are during traffic stops. "When we prevent a police officer from obtaining all information possible during a traffic stop, we are putting the police at risk."

http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/ ... 7b1e88.txt

"If that's the case, maybe we ought to stop all law enforcement," he said.

"There's the potential for split families anytime someone gets arrested, but no one would consider that a legitimate point on any other issue.

"Why should it be a factor here," Mehlman said.

This is a crucial poimt that needs to be made over and over again.

I guess in this "safe place" no american father or mother can go to prison for any crime cause it splits up families-Many mexican wives in mexico have complained to thier government that thier husbands have left children to go to the US-This means non enforcement is keeping these fathers from thier families,supporting deadbeat dads and assisting in the hardship of these mothers

The measure being considered by Calumet City -- likely to come up for a vote when the City Council meets again May 14 -- would prevent local police from asking anyone about their immigration status.

When foreign nationals are arrested, they are by treaty, to be given access to their consulate. How will Calumet provide this without asking about citizenship?