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Police immigration training sought in Irving

Residents sign petition for program, but council already said no


12:00 AM CST on Friday, February 2, 2007
By ERIC AASEN

IRVING – Residents have submitted a petition urging the Irving City Council to join a federal initiative that trains law enforcement to process and detain illegal immigrants.

But the council decided in October that it wasn't interested in joining the program. City officials say they're already working to combat illegal immigration and don't want to tackle immigration policy, an area that's long been considered a federal issue.

That hasn't deterred Sue Richardson. She submitted a petition with about 800 signatures last week to the City Council. The Irving resident wants the council to reconsider.

"I would hope they would listen to the will of the people," she said.

Irving Mayor Herbert Gears said immigration agents enter the Irving Jail regularly and remove inmates. He said Irving is doing more to address illegal immigration than other area cities.

"The city of Irving is leading the suburban cities in North Texas in their cooperative efforts to remove criminal aliens," he said. "We are ahead of the game."

The petition is the latest round in a debate in Irving over the role the city should play in tracking illegal immigrants. The discussion hasn't reached the boiling point, like in Farmers Branch, where voters will decide in May whether to prohibit apartment owners from renting to illegal immigrants.

Nevertheless, the topic is simmering in Irving, where immigrants made up one-third of the city's population in 2005, the largest proportion among North Texas' biggest cities, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

As a result, those who signed Ms. Richardson's petition want the city to turn to a federal initiative, the 287(g) immigration enforcement program.

The initiative would essentially turn police officers into immigration officers. It would allow police departments to determine whether illegal immigrants who have committed crimes are eligible for deportation proceedings. The agencies also could access immigration databases to determine a person's identity and immigration status.

Nationwide, only a handful of law enforcement agencies have joined the program. Locally, Carrollton officials have decided not to join the initiative. Farmers Branch officials, however, want to join. The city has submitted an application and has been told it's under consideration.

Irving City Council members decided last fall against joining the 287(g) program. City officials are reluctant to join because they'd be taking on missions that traditionally rest with the federal government. Officials in other North Texas cities and counties have expressed similar concerns.

Ms. Richardson, who says she's not going after certain races or cultures, believes that enrolling in 287(g) would be a proactive way for Irving to identify illegal immigrants, while also relieving pressure on Border Patrol agents.

"It will also eventually encourage self-deportation because people don't want to be caught," she said.

Mr. Gears is satisfied with what his city is already doing.

Last year, about 300 people were removed from the Irving Jail by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, he said.

The mayor said that Ms. Richardson's petition isn't going to change his mind about the 287(g) program.

But other council members might bring up the topic in the future.

Mr. Gears hopes the petition raises awareness among residents about what Irving officials are already doing regarding illegal immigration.

"What will come out of this is that citizens will become aware that the city of Irving is working in partnership with the federal government ... and has been for the last year deporting criminal aliens from our city," Mr. Gears said.

Locally, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office tries to respond to calls from law enforcement agencies, agency spokesman Carl Rusnok said.

"Arresting and removing criminal aliens from the United States is one of our highest priorities," Mr. Rusnok said. "With the resources we have available, we have to go after the biggest threat to the American people. That means going after criminal aliens."