Thread: CA: Escondido sweep pushes enforcement edge

Escondido sweep pushes enforcement edge

March 1, 2008

By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer
Roundup stirs controversy in heavily Latino city

ESCONDIDO ---- In its attempt to rid itself of illegal immigrants, the city of Escondido recently took another controversial step into federal territory when its police force conducted sweeps aimed at arresting criminal illegal immigrants.

Enforcing federal immigration law has been a flash point for local governments across the country.

Many law enforcement officials have expressed reluctance to intrude on the federal jurisdiction over immigration law enforcement, citing the lack of resources and personnel.

Others have said that local law enforcers risked public safety in immigrant communities if they are seen to be working too closely with federal immigration authorities.

But that resistance appears to be fading, as more and more police departments join forces with federal agencies to target, arrest and hand over illegal immigrants.

Escondido stands at the forefront, although not alone, in this new landscape, said Jim Carafano, a senior fellow focusing on defense and immigration matters with a conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation.

Cities that are blazing this trail must be careful to observe civil rights, Carafano said.

"Cities that go out and do this willy-nilly, they are just asking for a lawsuit," he said.

Sweeps raise controversy
Acting largely on its own, the Escondido Police Department recently conducted a sweep using its officers that netted 14 illegal immigrants wanted for deportation and for criminal violations.

Escondido officials said the three-day operation was simply aimed at ridding the city of criminals. But immigrant rights activists said it was another misguided incursion into a racially explosive minefield.

Escondido Councilman Ed Gallo disagreed, saying that most residents agree with the city's actions, including longtime Latino residents.

"I've talked to a lot of people and to a person, they object to the (illegal immigrant) people coming," Gallo said.

Activists say that city officials are not listening to a large segment of population in Escondido, where Latinos make up about 40 percent of the population.

"The city government, which includes the Police Department, is being grossly dismissive of the Latino population in this city," said Bill Flores, a spokesman for El Grupo, an umbrella group of civil rights organizations. "Not only do they appear not to listen, it seems they are not interested in listening."

Flores is also a retired San Diego County assistant sheriff.

On its own
The kind of immigration sweep that Escondido police did from Feb. 20-22 is more commonly conducted by federal immigration authorities, occasionally in conjunction with local police.

"This was a very unique operation," said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for the San Diego office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency in charge of enforcing immigration laws inside the nation's borders. "We were not involved in the preplanning and it wasn't a joint operation per se."

Mack said Thursday that the agency helped the city by verifying that those people targeted were illegal immigrants. She said 11 of the 14 people turned over to them were deported and three are in custody.

Last spring, the Escondido council adopted a policy that says police officers can confirm the identity and immigration status of people anytime they are detained, even for minor offenses. The city's police officers are also authorized to check the immigration status of unlicensed drivers and call the Border Patrol if the person is here illegally.

A federal immigration agent is stationed in the Escondido police headquarters part time to conduct those background checks.

Escondido isn't the only local law enforcement agency to have forged closer working relationships with immigration authorities in recent years. For instance, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department has begun checking the immigration status of inmates in its jails.

Escondido is also a leader among many cities that have pursued other anti-illegal immigrant policies in recent years. The City Council adopted in 2006 an ordinance banning illegal immigrants from renting in Escondido, but dropped it after legal bills began to soar after civil rights groups challenged it.

The city is now considering an ordinance that would restrict day laborers' ability to look for work from the streets. Another North County city, Vista, passed a law in 2006 requiring people who want to hire day laborers off the streets to register with the city.

Only the criminals
After the sweeps, Escondido's police chief, Jim Maher, restated his goal of targeting only those illegal immigrants who also commit some other crimes. He has said that victims and witnesses are encouraged to report crimes without fear of deportation.

Repeated attempts to interview Maher were unsuccessful last week.

Police Lt. Bob Benton, a spokesman for the department, reiterated that concern.

"We want to continue to have that relationship that we have with them," Benton said Thursday. "We want them to call us when they've been victimized."

Benton said the idea for the sweep came from patrol officers who often ran into criminals they had arrested and who had been deported.

They compiled a list of about 70 people who had long criminal records ranging from rape to assault with a deadly weapon.

"We want to rid Escondido of criminals who are stealing our cars, committing robberies, breaking into our homes," Benton said.

An e-mail sent by San Diego Minutemen founder Jeff Schwilk on Thursday suggested that at least his group was pleased with Escondido police's new initiative.

"A city that cares about its citizens and their safety and goes after the alien criminals, what a concept!" Schwilk wrote."On behalf of all Americans, thank you Chief Maher and the Escondido City Council! You are the BEST! All U.S. cities need to crack down on criminal and previously deported aliens!"

Latinos on edge
But immigrant rights and civil rights groups criticized the sweep, saying this kind of use of police officers could fracture an already fragile relationship with the Latino community.

They say the city is increasingly alienating the Latino community with policies that take aim at illegal immigrants, the majority of whom are Latino.

And the sight of U.S. Border Patrol agents in Escondido at the same time as Escondido police were conducting their sweep only heightened those fears, activists said.

Consuelo Martinez, who heads the grass-roots group Escondido Human Rights Committee, said she received numerous calls from people frightened by U.S. Border Patrol vehicles in Escondido during the same time as the sweeps.

"It's what scares people into thinking that they are collaborating with immigration," said Martinez.

The Border Patrol vehicles were seen at the corner of Mission Avenue and Quince Street, an area where Latino day laborers congregate to look for work.

A spokeswoman for the Border Patrol said the agency often conducts surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations, but would not say why, or even if, any agents were in Escondido at the time of the police sweep.

Another option
Mack, the spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency encourages cities to consider a program designed to train and authorize their police departments to enforce immigration laws.

The program, known as 287 (g), is one of numerous resources available to cities through the Department of Homeland Security.

Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler said the council and the Police Department had reviewed the program, but decided against participating. She said the department has the assistance it needs to focus on criminal illegal immigrants.

Pfeiler, who has opposed the rental ban ordinance, said she supported the recent sweep because it focused on known criminal illegal immigrants.

"Fundamentally, we need to be targeting people who have committed crimes, whether they are here legally or illegally," she said. "Even if you are here illegally, I would think you would not want to be living next to somebody who is a criminal."


www.nctimes.com

Another option
Mack, the spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency encourages cities to consider a program designed to train and authorize their police departments to enforce immigration laws.

The program, known as 287 (g), is one of numerous resources available to cities through the Department of Homeland Security.

Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler said the council and the Police Department had reviewed the program, but decided against participating. She said the department has the assistance it needs to focus on criminal illegal immigrants.

Have you noticed? Escondido is conducting illegal alien sweeps WITHOUT utilizing 287(g). As you can see there is absolutely NO REASON (other than a conscious choice NOT to) that any local or state police department can conduct arrests of illegal aliens. The 287(g) program is a tool that communities can use but it is not mandatory to have it implemented to arrest criminal illegal aliens! THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT. This should be a very important lesson to every city in America...the Escondido Lesson!!!

For Further Information:

Local Police Can Cooperate With Federal Immigration Authorities w/o 287(g)

The Bail Reform Act of 1984 created a powerful detention provision that authorizes a state of local police officer to arrest any alien other than a legal permanent resident for a federal “offense,â€

It would be great if some ALIPACers could contact Escondido city officials with either phone calls or e-mails and thank them for conducting their illegal alien criminal sweeps regardless of the anti-enforcement rhetoric from illegal alien advocacy groups:

http://www.ci.escondido.ca.us/depts/index.html

[[b]quote="zeezil"]

Another option
Mack, the spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency encourages cities to consider a program designed to train and authorize their police departments to enforce immigration laws.

The program, known as 287 (g), is one of numerous resources available to cities through the Department of Homeland Security.

Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler said the council and the Police Department had reviewed the program, but decided against participating. She said the department has the assistance it needs to focus on criminal illegal immigrants.

Have you noticed? Escondido is conducting illegal alien sweeps WITHOUT utilizing 287(g). As you can see there is absolutely NO REASON (other than a conscious choice NOT to) that any local or state police department can conduct arrests of illegal aliens. The 287(g) program is a tool that communities can use but it is not mandatory to have it implemented to arrest criminal illegal aliens! THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT. This should be a very important lesson to every city in America...the Escondido Lesson!!!

For Further Information:

Local Police Can Cooperate With Federal Immigration Authorities w/o 287(g)

The Bail Reform Act of 1984 created a powerful detention provision that authorizes a state of local police officer to arrest any alien other than a legal permanent resident for a federal “offense,â€

Zeezil, An uncomfortable thought just occurred to me. As important a tool as the 287g program is, keep in mind it is a federally funded program. What if, like the border fence, funding suddenly disappeared for the program nationwide? Remember, funding is controlled by the same Congress we have struggled against for so long on this issue.

I think it wise not to put all our eggs in one basket and to encourage cities, counties, and states nationwide to continue to take an active role. The Federal government gets it's funding from "we the people", and it should get it's mandates from us as well.

Immigration is indeed a federal issue, but particularily in the area of national borders. Once illegals enter into our seperate states after crossing the national border, the issue also becomes a state problem. Astute citizens already grasp that concept, so let's continue to encourage our representatives in local and state government to get a grasp of the concept as well. I'm sick and tired of all the finger-pointing. What I want to see is RESULTS!

Originally Posted by azwreath

Great information Zeezil!!! Would you mind if I use this? I have a feeling that there are many people who....just like me.....are not aware of this and I would not be surprised if that lack of knowledge even extends to some elected officials.

I think this would be ideal to send to newspapers, police departments, state and local officials, etc.!!!

You bet, azwreath, go ahead and use it anywhere you'd like. Also send it to your local community police chief and county sheriff.

Here's a detalied document published by Kris Kobach that tells about the inherent authority of local police to make immigration arrests:
http://thedustininmansociety.org/docs/k ... 6feb22.pdf

Added to Home PAge
http://www.alipac.us/article3001.html

[quote="zeezil"]

Originally Posted by azwreath

Great information Zeezil!!! Would you mind if I use this? I have a feeling that there are many people who....just like me.....are not aware of this and I would not be surprised if that lack of knowledge even extends to some elected officials.

I think this would be ideal to send to newspapers, police departments, state and local officials, etc.!!!

You bet, azwreath, go ahead and use it anywhere you'd like. Also send it to your local community police chief and county sheriff.

Here's a detalied document published by Kris Kobach that tells about the inherent authority of local police to make immigration arrests:
http://thedustininmansociety.org/docs/k ... 6feb22.pdf[/quote]





This is great Z and thank you!!

So much of this issue...IMO....is because of confusion over the laws. I mean, look what's happened for so many years. The pro-illegal groups have been spouting off with their version of the laws and because they have lawyers doing the talking or proclaim themselves as experts on the rights of illegals people assume that they would know what they are talking about.

By the time these people were done with the people of this country they had just about everyone believing that there was absolutely nothing which can be done about illegals, that they were protected from law enforcement of any form or fashion under anti-discrimination laws, etc.

It didn't have to be true, they just needed people to believe it and they succeeded. Until recently, that is.

It's just very important for the type of information such as what you've posted to get out there and into as many hands as possible.

The funny thing about this argument about it being the Federal Government jurisdiction is that the Federal Government has ruled.

There are laws making it illegal to enter the country.

There are rules making it illegal to hire the illegal invaders.

There are also laws making it illegal to aid and abet them.

The only way we can make this work and the way it worked before the Revolutionaries took control of the country was ENFORCING THESE LAWS ON THE LOCAL LEVEL.

We need law enforcement that takes their oaths of office seriously!

"The city government, which includes the Police Department, is being grossly dismissive of the Latino population in this city," said Bill Flores, a spokesman for El Grupo, an umbrella group of civil rights organizations. "Not only do they appear not to listen, it seems they are not interested in listening."

That is not true. No one is "being grossly dismissive of the Latino population" and believe me, they "are listening".

The "Latino community" needs to understand that unless they are legal, that have no say in who makes up our immigration laws. The majority of the people - 0ver 80%- want the city government and the Police department to continue to ENFORCE laws that would make it a priority to locate illegal immigrants. We need to rid our population of criminals that have no right to be in our country. And from this 80% who want state and city governments to honor these new illegal immigration laws, legal Latinos are voicing their opinions for enforcement as well.