Thread: Houston Police Dept. Change Concerns Illegal Aliens

HPD procedure shift draws concern among immigrants
Officers now must ask anyone arrested for proof of citizenship


By CYNTHIA LEONOR GARZA
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

A change earlier this month in the Houston Police Department's policy requiring officers to ask anyone arrested for a misdemeanor whether they are a U.S. citizen has Houston immigrants on edge as they seek to understand what the change means for them.

"The climate today is one of terror in the community. You can feel the tension," said Teodoro Aguiluz, executive director of CRECEN, or Central American Resource Center, which hosted a forum Sunday to clarify the policy changes and give an update on pending comprehensive immigration reform. More than 200 members of Houston's Latino immigrant community attended.

"The change that our department has done is not a new law and not a new ordinance. It's just a change in the normal procedure," Houston Police Department spokesman Gabriel Ortiz told the group, which met at Social Club Amazonia. "None of our officers are going to detain someone because they believe that person is here illegally. If you are ever in that situation report it, because the police are not supposed to do that."

Aguiluz said CRECEN is working with the police department on how to present complaints of improper procedures so that they will be investigated.

Ortiz also answered questions, many of which had to do with what type of identification was acceptable. Ortiz said accepting the presented form of identification — whether it's a driver's license, passport or other valid ID — as legitimate will be up to each officer.

HPD announced last week that they had turned over three people to immigration authorities. The three were among 229 people picked up for minor infractions, such as traffic offenses. Because of the change in procedure, they were processed through a national crime database. The background checks indicated the three had re-entered the country after being deported, which is a felony.

Ortiz urged the group to not be afraid to talk to police.

"I know a lot of people are victims of crime or witnesses of crime. Don't stop reporting it. Don't think police are going to ask for your status," Ortiz said.

Lucio Lorenzana, who is in the country illegally, said since the new policy went into effect he's been afraid to drive or run errands. He plans to get a Matricula Consular card, issued by the Consulate General of Mexico. HPD had previously told the Houston-area League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, that the Matricula Consular is an acceptable form of identification.

Houston immigrants-rights activist María Jimenez said since immigration reform became a polarizing national issue, Houston's Latinos have "had to continue to contend with anti-immigrant sentiments," including verbal abuse.


'Hostile environment'
"Add to that the changes within the police department and I think the people are feeling an onslaught in terms of a very hostile environment," Jimenez said.

The vitriolic sentiments have impacted both citizen and undocumented Latinos, she said.

"We're painted with the same brush," said Jimenez, who was a key organizer last spring in the protests against the original House proposal, which would have made it a felony to be in the country illegally. At Sunday's event, she updated the crowd on pending reform.

"Everything is stalled on immigration reform," she said, but she nonetheless urged those who are eligible to vote, or who have family members who are, to cast their ballots in the upcoming election.

cynthia.garza@chron.com

RESOURCES
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Voices of Houston: The Chronicle's Rhea Davis reports on the immigration protests in Houston. (5/1)
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"The climate today is one of terror in the community. You can feel the tension," said Teodoro Aguiluz,

What about no one is illegal? If they weren't illegal and hadn't committed a crime they wouldn't have anything to be terrified about. They need to put the blame for this where it lies, on themselves, they are the ones that committed the crime of entering the country illegally. No law abiding citizen would consider entering a country illegally.

Lucio Lorenzana, who is in the country illegally, said since the new policy went into effect he's been afraid to drive or run errands.

The is a natural reaction if you are a lawbreaker.

Lucio Lorenzana, who is in the country illegally, said since the new policy went into effect he's been afraid to drive or run errands.

Oh mercy....how am I going to stay in the country illegally, without fear, if they keep trying to catch me! It's just not right! It's racist and discrimatory and hateful and devisive and mean-spirited, un-welcoming, unfriendly, unneighborly, xenophobic, not to mention not fair!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAHH!