Thread: Group rallies for tougher policies toward illegal immigrants

News9

DENVER - A local group says Denver should have tougher policies for arresting and detaining illegal immigrants.

The Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform held a rally Monday afternoon at the Denver City and County building. The group believes that if the city and county stopped its so called "sanctuary policy" (the alleged practice of being lenient with illegal aliens), Denver Police Detective Donnie Young wouldn't have been killed.

The man accused of shooting him to death, Raul Garcia-Gomez, is from Mexico. Garcia-Gomez was ticketed three times for traffic violations in the span of seven months while he was living in Denver.

"Maybe, if this gentleman had been reported to ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) on his first contact with police, maybe they could have sent him back to Mexico," said Scott Stevens, who attended the rally.

But others, like Lisa Duran with Rights for All People, question the group's message. "The mode that these folks employ is highly divisive and very destructive," said Duran. "I would say in effect it tramples on the rights of all immigrants and all of us who are concerned with human rights."

Duran says it shouldn't be up to local law enforcement to police immigrants. "It's not a crime to be out of visa status," she said. "It's a civil penalty. It would be like calling the police to enforce those folks who haven't paid their income tax."

Denver City Attorney Cole Finegan says there are no city ordinances or regulations establishing a "sanctuary policy." He also says Denver's policies don't prevent Denver police officers from cooperating with federal law enforcement on immigration issues.

EXPAIN PLEASE

"It's not a crime to be out of visa status," she said. "It's a civil penalty

Isn't a CIVIL PENALTY a CRIME? ie: breaking a law or laws?