Thread: Response overwhelmingly backs Irving police program

Sept. 30, 2007, 3:21PM
Response overwhelmingly backs police program, city says

IRVING, Texas — City officials targeted by Latino groups who oppose a police program that identifies suspects for possible deportation say they've received hundreds of phone calls and e-mails supporting the policy since about 2,000 protesters marched on City Hall last week.

An organizer of Wednesday's rally was undaunted by the claim and accused Irving Mayor Herbert Gears and his staff of lying.

"They're trying to rally their bases," Carlos Quintanilla said. "Their base is not as passionate as us."

Quintanilla and other activists asked the crowd during the protest to call City Hall and demand a stop to the Criminal Alien Program, which allows jailers to identify suspected illegal immigrants and refer them to immigration authorities.

But city officials say that of the nearly 500 calls and more than 250 e-mails received the day after the protest, few were against the program.

Gears said all but two of 265 e-mails favored the policy.

City Hall receptionist Edna Brown said she had about triple the volume of calls she usually handles. Most supported the program, she said.

From September 2006 through Tuesday, 1,600 people taken to the city jail in this Dallas suburb had had a detainer placed on them by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A detainer is a legal order that says a jailed person, once the sentence is complete, should be released into ICE custody for possible deportation.

Irving began participating in the nationwide program last year.

The Mexican Consulate and immigration advocates say police are being overzealous while patrolling and trying to stop Latinos to arrest them.

Police Chief Larry Boyd has denied that police are trying to enforce immigration laws and says they're not targeting specific groups of people. He says the identification of suspected immigrants is happening at the jail, not on the streets.
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Information from:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, http://www.star-telegram.com
Al Dia, http://www.aldiatx.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5176403.html

Originally Posted by zeezil

Sept. 30, 2007, 3:21PM
Response overwhelmingly backs police program, city says

IRVING, Texas — City officials targeted by Latino groups who oppose a police program that identifies suspects for possible deportation say they've received hundreds of phone calls and e-mails supporting the policy since about 2,000 protesters marched on City Hall last week.

An organizer of Wednesday's rally was undaunted by the claim and accused Irving Mayor Herbert Gears and his staff of lying.

"They're trying to rally their bases," Carlos Quintanilla said. "Their base is not as passionate as us."

Quintanilla and other activists asked the crowd during the protest to call City Hall and demand a stop to the Criminal Alien Program, which allows jailers to identify suspected illegal immigrants and refer them to immigration authorities.

But city officials say that of the nearly 500 calls and more than 250 e-mails received the day after the protest, few were against the program.

Gears said all but two of 265 e-mails favored the policy.

City Hall receptionist Edna Brown said she had about triple the volume of calls she usually handles. Most supported the program, she said.

From September 2006 through Tuesday, 1,600 people taken to the city jail in this Dallas suburb had had a detainer placed on them by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A detainer is a legal order that says a jailed person, once the sentence is complete, should be released into ICE custody for possible deportation.

Irving began participating in the nationwide program last year.

The Mexican Consulate and immigration advocates say police are being overzealous while patrolling and trying to stop Latinos to arrest them.

Police Chief Larry Boyd has denied that police are trying to enforce immigration laws and says they're not targeting specific groups of people. He says the identification of suspected immigrants is happening at the jail, not on the streets.
___

Information from:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, http://www.star-telegram.com
Al Dia, http://www.aldiatx.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5176403.html

Carlos better be careful....doesn't he realize that his nose grows longer everytime he lies?