Ewanh e e Ewanh!




Groups denounce immigration raids
Tyche Hendricks, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

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(02-21) 14:54 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- Immigrant-rights groups today denounced the arrests of illegal immigrants in the Bay Area and called for immigration reforms while San Francisco officials reiterated the city's long-standing pledge to give sanctuary to immigrants.

Officials from the groups called for an end to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's crackdown on immigrants, which has resulted in the arrests of 13,000 people nationwide in the past nine months for immigration violations. The agency also conducts workplace raids aimed at finding undocumented workers.

"There should be no enforcement of immigration law until we reform our immigration law, because right now there's no way for people to become legal residents," said Renee Saucedo, director of San Francisco's Day Labor Program.

San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly emphasized that San Francisco has for two decades considered itself a "city of sanctuary," where immigrants are welcome and safe, regardless of legal status.

"While San Francisco doesn't control federal agents, we should be controlling our police department to ensure there is total non-cooperation with federal officials on these raids," said Daly.

Mayor Gavin Newsom also expressed concern last week about immigration raids in the city, saying, "These raids jeopardize the public health and safety of the city by instilling fear in those who may come forward to report information about a crime or those who are in need of medical treatment."

ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley said the agency's enforcement efforts around the country are ongoing and San Francisco had not been specifically targeted.

E-mail Tyche Hendricks at thendricks@sfchronicle.com.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... ss.bayarea

"we should be controlling our police department to ensure there is total non-cooperation with federal officials on these raids," said Daly. "

Yeah, right. The next criminal act by an illegal should be good for a huge lawsuit.