Thread: CA: ACORN and community group allege racial profiling by law

74 comments left so far at the source link.
~~~

ACORN and community group allege racial profiling by law enforcement officers near Fontana schools
Josh Dulaney and Stephen Wall, Staff Writers
Posted: 10/28/2009 09:02:08 PM PDT

FONTANA - Members of two community organizing groups protested Wednesday against alleged acts of racial profiling by law enforcement officers near public schools.

At Wednesday's City Council meeting, members of ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, and the San Bernardino Community Service Center said Fontana police officers are targeting illegal immigrants by setting up driver's license checkpoints near public schools during school hours.

"It is unjust that members of our community are looked upon with scorn, derision, and suspicion," said Bobbi Jo Chavarria, a 38-year-old resident who is leading an effort to start an ACORN chapter here.

The issue of racial profiling came up at a school board meeting last week after complaints were raised that a Latino family was allegedly stopped by four unmarked federal vehicles this month.

Residents say they have seen the police setting up survey checkpoints near school zones.

Police Department officials Wednesday denied the allegations, saying checkpoints set up near schools are for DUI checks only and conducted at night.

The Police Department has a policy against racial profiling, Chief Rodney Jones said.

"If anybody has a complaint, bring it forward and we'll respond to it," Jones said.

Robert Ratcliffe, chief of police for the Fontana Unified School District, said there were also hints at the board meeting that district police took part in the action.

"There was inference that local law enforcement was involved with that and I issued a memo to the interim superintendent (of schools) that we had no involvement in that," Ratcliffe said.

ACORN also protested the so-called 287g Program, which allows designated law enforcement officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions.

The program locally is administered by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

"Our local police department is actually working as a de facto immigration officer," said Emilio Amaya, executive director of San Bernardino Community Service Center.

In 2008, the department identified 2,359 inmates as possible illegal immigrants under the program, said Lt. Rick Ells.

The department is in the process of extending the program that started in 2006. A new three-year agreement between the county and the federal government is expected to come before the Board of Supervisors for a final vote Nov. 3.

Under the program, people who are booked into county jails are asked to provide their country of birth on their booking applications.

If they were not born in the United States, their applications are flagged by a sheriff's custody specialist trained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

If after an interview the sheriff's employee determines the person may be in the country illegally, the inmate is referred to federal immigration authorities for additional questioning and possible deportation.

"Nobody is brought to our jails merely because of immigration status," Ells said.

Ells said the program is effective at getting potentially dangerous criminals off the streets.

"If we don't do this and somebody gets picked up for a DUI and doesn't get deported and then goes out and commits another DUI and kills an innocent person, we would be under tremendous fire," Ells said.

"Anytime you remove the opportunity for the crime or the criminal, you're going to improve the quality of life."

Those protesting ACORN's stance on the program attended the meeting and voiced support for the Sheriff's Department.

"We are in complete support of the 287g program," said Robin Hvidston, a rally coordinator for We the People. "The (Sheriff's Department) has identified illegal aliens committing crimes on our soil. This helps us repatriate them to their country."

http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_13665296

Acorn=obama's Brown shirts.

Acorn members are foolish they are being sent into the trenches to do the dirty work for obama. When obama gets what he wants from them, they will be back on the streets again begging for work.

Members of Fontana City Council deny allegations of racial profiling by police

Citizens address controversial topics of race, illegal immigration during meeting
By ALEJANDRO CANO
Published: Thursday, October 29, 2009 7:43 PM CDT

Members of the Fontana City Council denied allegations made by two community organizing groups and some local residents that there have been instances of racial profiling as well as driver's license checkpoints by police near school sites during morning hours in Fontana.

Members of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and the San Bernardino Community Service Center (SBCSC), in addition to local residents, voiced their concerns during the public comments portion of Wednesday's City Council meeting, saying that these alleged police practices are "terrorizing the community."

The remarks by citizens and the responses by the City Council reflected various viewpoints on the sensitive topics of illegal immigration and racism.

"I can recognize hate when I see it, even when it is dressed up, looking pretty and reasonable, or tries to appear as self-evident truth or rule of law. It is hate because it is not love," said Bobbi Jo Chavarria, a local resident who is planning on opening an ACORN chapter in the city.

*
Chavarria said that there are groups which use the "rule of law" as a rationale for their support of federal programs like the 287 (g) program, currently implemented by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which allows officers to act as immigration agents, while others use it as rationale for prejudice.

Emilio Amaya, executive director for SBCSC, urged the council to take a stand against 287 (g) and other programs and to stop the alleged harassment of people, which in the end could damage the relationship between police and the community.

"Our police officers are working as de facto immigration officers, using taxpayers' money to harass the taxpayer," said Amaya, who lives in Fontana. "This creates fear among the community, which happens to be more than 60 percent Hispanic. The question is, who is the City Council really representing?"

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2008 out of the estimated 186,642 residents living in Fontana, 117,713 reported to be Hispanic or Latino, which represents 63.1 percent of the total population. Yet, there is no Hispanic or Latino currently serving on the City Council, a fact that according to Samuel Chavez, a local resident, clearly demonstrates the great disadvantage of the Hispanic community.

"How can they really represent us when they have no idea of what it is like to be oppressed?" said Chavez. "How can they represent us when all of them make more money in a year than most of us will make in a lifetime? There is no representation ... the Hispanic or Latino, whatever you want to use, has no voice here."

Councilmember John Roberts said that what makes the city work is the collaboration between all people from the community.

Speaking against illegal immigration during the meeting were some members of We the People, a grassroots, all-volunteer network seeking to influence institutions of political corruption, who voiced their support for the 287 (g) program and the "deportation of all illegal immigrants." Raymond Herrera, founder and national spokesperson, praised city officials for the excellent job they are doing by upholding the law.

"You have these illegals complaining about our laws when they all should be deported. If they don't like our laws they should go back where they came from. They should stand against the corrupt Mexican government. They should move their fight there; it is the Mexican government that oppresses them, not us," said Herrera.

Robin Hvidston, a rally coordinator for We the People, argued that race is not the issue and that all that police are doing is to enforce the law to prevent crimes from happening.

"We are for people standing up in Mexico. The brave Mexicans in the city of Oaxaca -- they had the courage to stand up to that corrupt Mexican government; some of them lost their lives, but they did not run to this country for a better life. They are working in Mexico for a better life," said Hvidston. "Stand up for your country, don't desert your friends and family and come to this country to live illegally; what kind of life is that for a person?"

At the end of the public comments section, Mayor Mark Nuaimi said he was offended that some speakers brought the "race card" to the table by mentioning instances of racism (including the presence of the Ku Klux Klan more than 20 years ago) which have occurred in Fontana. He said he wanted this issue to end right now.

"I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of California against all enemies foreign and domestic," Nuaimi said. "I have upheld that oath my entire career at this City Council, and every time someone comes and flashes a race card at this council and uses the history -- unfortunately tainted history -- of this town prior to mine or any of my colleagues' involvement, I challenge that," said Nuaimi. "It really offends me when somebody comes to this microphone and says 'The KKK marched through these streets and now you, mayor, have to take a stand against a federal law or an agreement between the San Bernardino Sheriff and immigration.'"

Councilmember Frank Scialdone assured the community that racial profiling does not occur in Fontana and if a police officer is caught violating that law, he is immediately punished.

Councilmember Janice Rutherford abstained from making comments, and Councilmember Acquanetta Warren was absent.

Amos Young Jr., delegate and executive board representative to the California Democratic Party for the 62nd Assembly District, said that in addition to supporting and defending the Constitution of both the nation and the state, mayors have the duty to represent and defend the entire community.

"Nuaimi has one vision and the city has another one," said Young. "What people did not address is the fact that we need immigration reform so that people have an opportunity for residency and citizenship."

Meanwhile, the county is expected to extend the 287 (g) program in the following weeks. Since its inception back in 2006, the local Sheriff's Department has identified thousands of undocumented persons and transferred them to federal authorities for the deportation process. In 2008 alone, the department identified 2,359 inmates as undocumented residents.

www.fontanheraldnews.com

What people did not address is the fact that we need immigration reform so that people have an opportunity for residency and citizenship."


The immigration reform that is needed to to enforce all the laws on the books concerning illegals and get them and their acchors out of OUR country. What have they done to earn the right to anything but a one way ticket back to their country of orgin?

ACORN. Those crooks. Every time some IA advocacy group wants to duck the spotlight revealing their glaring irregularities they cry racial profiling. It is getting old and tired.

Government funded community organizations created to pander to special interests are costing us millions in unwarranted entitlements.

Programs like ACORN are secreted into bills having nothing to do with their purpose just like a kid might sneak in a stray puppy. Well, a lot of our politicians are like children. What did Robin Williams say in Man of the Year? "Politicians are a lot like diapers. You have to change them frequently and for the same reasons."

There is another community action program that was slipped into the Democrat's Affordable Health Choices Act. "A wide-ranging and ill-defined provision for “Community Transformation Plansâ€

[quote="fourbrick"]ACORN. Those crooks. Every time some IA advocacy group wants to duck the spotlight revealing their glaring irregularities they cry racial profiling. It is getting old and tired.

Government funded community organizations created to pander to special interests are costing us millions in unwarranted entitlements.

Programs like ACORN are secreted into bills having nothing to do with their purpose just like a kid might sneak in a stray puppy. Well, a lot of our politicians are like children. What did Robin Williams say in Man of the Year? "Politicians are a lot like diapers. You have to change them frequently and for the same reasons."

There is another community action program that was slipped into the Democrat's Affordable Health Choices Act. "A wide-ranging and ill-defined provision for “Community Transformation Plansâ€

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-4641--0-0.html

ACORN is a racist and corrupt organization. What do they want, NO LAW ENFORCEMENT AT ALL?

ACORN is a joke! Who knows maybe they can use some illegals for use in their ACORN financed houses of ill repute and prostution. They make me sick! Race baiting self righteous group that needs to be fully investigated. There should be a congressional investigation into ACORN funds. Hell, they were one of the leading reason for the mortgagee crises.

Please do not get started on this boat load of idiots.

"I can recognize hate when I see it, even when it is dressed up, looking pretty and reasonable, or tries to appear as self-evident truth or rule of law. It is hate because it is not love," said Bobbi Jo Chavarria, a local resident who is planning on opening an ACORN chapter in the city.

This is an anti-law lunatic on the verge. I'll bet she can see apparitions of gold on the streets of Fontana just for her too.