http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ho ... 877169.php

Wednesday, December 7, 2005

Costa Mesa police will enforce immigration law
Panel OKs a scaled-back plan that would only allow illegal immigrants to be reported by certain jail personnel and investigators.

By JEFF OVERLEY
The Orange County Register

COSTA MESA – The City Council early today approved training city police to enforce federal immigration law. The plan was scaled back from an original proposal that could have allowed patrol officers to detain illegal immigrants first stopped for minor offenses such as jaywalking or soliciting day labor.

Instead, the council agreed to piggyback on a plan currently being pushed by the Orange County Sheriff's Department. That proposal would only allow illegal immigrants to be reported by certain jail personnel and investigators.

The 3-2 vote, which came shortly after 1 a.m., followed several hours of comments from 45 speakers, most of whom opposed the idea.