Thread: New Policy Makes Officers Enforce Immigration Laws

New Policy Makes Officers Enforce Immigration Laws

Posted: Dec 19, 2007 05:29 PM PST

Updated: Dec 19, 2007 06:08 PM PST






Arizona could become the first state to have its police enforce immigration laws. The question is, how would that affect Yuma?

Lawmakers are considering a controversial police policy for Phoenix, and it's stirring a heated debate between just how much our officers can take versus a broad approach toward immigration enforcement.

Yuma County Sheriff Ralph Ogden says he's against making officers do double duty.

They patrol our streets day and night, spend countless hours on various investigations, and ensure the safety of everyone in Yuma County. Now the federal government wants more.

"If an officer is taking his time trying to determine citizenship or the status of a person, he's not patrolling, he's not doing what he needs to do and what he gets paid for," says Sheriff Ogden.

Ogden is referring to a policy that prevents officers from checking a person's legal status. Phoenix is already trying to change that policy in favor of more immigration enforcement. Sheriff Ogden says officers already have enough on their plate.

"Once you get the training, once you start to determine a person is illegal, you end up working for ICE until such time as that thing's over with." Ogden says it's up to Congress to provide more resources and more money towards the immigration problem. He says local officers should be left alone to do what they do best.

"This is a federal responsibility and you get tired of saying that and people get tired of hearing it, but we have a federal government that has a policy, fractured or broken or however you want to put it, but it's up to Congress to do something."

Right now, Border Patrol assists sheriff's deputies when they encounter an alleged illegal immigrant.

"It's a brotherhood type thing. It goes hand in hand. It doesn't make much difference what color uniform you wear we just all get together and solve the problem," says Ogden. He says Phoenix could learn a thing or two from Yuma County's relationship with the feds, because in the end, officers have more time to focus on fighting crime.

Sheriff Ogden says nobody in Yuma is talking about making deputies perform those immigration tasks, but the federal government has been pushing to change that for years.





http://www.kswt.com/Global/story.asp?S=7521895

fractured or broken or however you want to put it, but it's up to Congress to do something."

Our immigration laws are NOT fractured or broken...THEY ARE IGNORED!!!

ENFORCE THE LAW... !!! Cut off the benefits to illegals and there will be more money to hire more law enforcement. Come down on EMPLOYERS and things will change!!

Perhaps what they need is a new interim unit. Once the person is deemed illegal, that arrestee is sent to the unit that is NOT patrolling the streets but there to do the work to prepare for ICE to pick them up. Think outside the box. Make more jobs for more Americans. DUH