Thread: Huntsville, AL: Residents frustrated by illegals

Residents frustrated by illegals
Friday, June 22, 2007
By NIKI DOYLE
Times Staff Writer niki.doyle@htimes.com
Reynolds, attorney say federal laws limit city's powers

A heated debate on immigration issues in Huntsville ended with some residents feeling like victims to federal law.

Residents of southwest Huntsville pleaded Thursday with Councilman Bill Kling and Public Safety Director Rex Reynolds to intervene in their neighborhoods, claiming that illegal immigrants were dumping trash, driving without licenses and causing wrecks.

"We in law enforcement missed the boat about the impact of not only illegal immigrants, but the Hispanic community as a whole," Reynolds told the audience at the town hall meeting. "They're also being victims of crime, and we have to provide the same level of service as other citizens."

Several people complained about the city's lack of immigration policy and wanted officers to seek out illegal immigrants and deport them.

Local police officers don't have the authority - or the capability - to detain people based on their status, Reynolds said. Officers can cite or arrest illegal immigrants only for the crimes they commit.

In essence, the city's hands are tied, said Mike Fees, a lawyer contracted by the council.

"When the federal government takes something on, all other forms of government - state, county, city - have to stay out of the way," Fees said. "It's not their business, as a matter of law."

Ed Adams, a native of Mexico who immigrated to the United States nearly 40 years ago, urged city officials to take action now while the immigration population is still a manageable size.

"It's not racism; it's economics," Adams said. "I came here legally, and they should have to go through the same process.

"We need to ship them back."

Only federal immigration officials have the authority to deport illegal immigrants, but Huntsville police soon may have a little more control over immigration, Reynolds said.

The city is applying for 287(g) status of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows state and local law enforcement officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions. If the status is approved, Huntsville police would be able to detain immigration offenders.

Until then, the city is looking for other solutions.

Reynolds mentioned the possibility of an ordinance that would allow police to impound vehicles if the driver is caught without a license.

The ordinance would apply to all drivers and would not be based on race, ethnicity or citizenship, he said. Criminal laws that don't specifically address immigrants are less likely to run afoul of federal law, Reynolds said.

He said a similar ordinance will appear before the Athens City Council next week.

Fees said other ordinances that specifically mention immigrants are often struck down by judges not long after their passage.

Cities "are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars defending these cases in long, protracted lawsuits that will most likely have an unhappy ending," Fees said. "The bottom line is this: Were the city of Huntsville to pass any ordinance to directly address immigration, it would be rapidly met with a lawsuit that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money."

Rosa Toussaint-Ortiz, who serves as a liaison to the Hispanic community, told the crowd that she would be happy to speak to immigrants who litter or cause other problems.

Often, immigrants just aren't familiar with this culture and just need a friendly notice, she said.

"We tend to forget that it could be us in that situation," Toussaint-Ortiz said. "By the grace of God, we didn't have to cross the border to get a job."

http://www.al.com/huntsvilletimes/stori ... xml&coll=1

"It's not racism; it's economics," Adams said. "I came here legally, and they should have to go through the same process.

Ed is right. Any type of amnesty is not fair to the good citizens who went through the process and did it the right way.

This is where my son lives........and it IS bad.

Originally Posted by girlygirl369

This is where my son lives........and it IS bad.

I was seriously considering moving to Cullman AL, where I have family. This whole thing is making me re-think that. Too bad, Alabama could have had another American taxpayer,but apparently, they'd rather fill up the towns with illegals.

What I don't understand is when these "people" are pulled over and don't have a licence how do they get their cars back home? Are they just let go or do they have someone else pick up the car? are they just allowed to keep driving? I would think if your stopped and don't have a license you most likely don't have insurance either, so now we're talking two crimes. But it seems if your illegal then you have rights citizens don't have!

I expect that the number of illegal immigrants in a community is a large factor in many decisions made about re-location. It is also most likely having an effect on tourism. I was stunned to read about the problems on Nantucket; which has been one of my favorite spots. Not any more.