City Alarmed by Police Impounding Cars of Undocumented Immigrants
By Riya Bhattacharjee
Saturday February 21, 2009
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Fund for Local Reporting! Community organizers met with Berkeley city officials on Thursday to discuss concerns about the Berkeley police seizing cars of undocumented immigrants, which they said had generated fear among some Latino families.

Julie Sinai, chief of staff to Mayor Tom Bates, said that although the mayor was aware of the issue and sympathized with the immigrants, there was little that could be done since state law authorized the police to tow and impound vehicles for 30 days when driven by drivers who were unlicensed, or who had suspended or revoked licenses.

“The mayor has been continuously opposed to the state law which says that immigration status is required to get a driver’s license,â€