Thread: Immigration enforcement law won't help police catch criminal

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... 0/POLITICS

Immigration enforcement law won't help police catch criminals
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/1/06
BY AREF ASSAF

The passage of the Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 poses serious challenges to New Jersey police departments and the citizens they are empowered to serve and protect.

The law is promoted as a tool to protect us from immigrants who have been served deportation papers but who continue to "hide out" in local communities, committing violent acts. What they are not telling the public is that the law authorizes local enforcement officers to prosecute non-citizens for civil immigration violations. Consequently, the law opens the doors for the random spot-checking of anyone (citizen or non-citizen) who police suspect lacks immigration papers.

Since the question of legal status will not be considered for white suspects or violators, New Jersey law enforcement authorities would be engaged in a statewide racial profiling of all non-white residents.

Police departments across the country have warned Congress that the new law is not going to improve their ability to track down immigrant criminals. It is more likely to have the opposite effect. Instead of helping police, it will create a wall of silence in immigrant communities that will obstruct any kind of police work that relies on immigrant witnesses and informants. This will be especially detrimental for immigrant women trying to free themselves from their abusers.

Community workers have known for years that criminals who prey on immigrants keep their victims silent by threatening to have them deported. Shelter workers can point to hundreds of cases where victims of abuse decide to keep quiet because of their immigration status. There are also plenty of horror stories where immigrant victims of sexual assault and other crimes come forward only to find themselves being investigated by the police.

This is why Congress passed special laws (like the 1994 and 2000 Violence Against Women acts) that allow immigrant victims of abuse and assault to gain legal status on their own.

By extending civil immigration enforcement to local police, the law would make battered immigrants even more fearful of turning to the police and government caseworkers. Moreover, these fears are not just limited to people who have entered the U.S. illegally. They will also creep into the lives of immigrants whose temporary work visas expired while waiting for their green card and to legal immigrants who have close friends or relatives who are undocumented. Under the new law, all of these immigrants will have some reasonable fear that any interaction they have with local police could result in their detention and swift deportation.

Instead of helping police track down immigrant criminals, the law will only add to the worries of law-abiding immigrants. It will also create a climate where people who victimize immigrants will have more advantage to keep their victims quiet. It is not clear how this will enhance public safety for immigrants or citizens.

While the bill's title and the rhetoric surrounding it portray this as anti-crime legislation, it is clearly more than that. The bill authorizes police to enforce federal civil immigration laws; it allows police to act as immigration officers.

State and local police are authorized to enforce criminal immigration laws and to notify federal immigration officials about foreign nationals in their custody who have committed crimes. But this bill requires police to also enforce civil immigration laws, or lose federal funds earmarked to reimburse them for detaining criminal lawbreakers.

To facilitate this new role for local police, the bill expands the scope of the National Crime Information Center database — accessed in routine situations by police to identify wanted criminals — to include people who have civil immigration violations.

This bill would impose significant new reporting requirements on these critically understaffed and under-funded agencies. As it is now, law enforcement departments are stretched beyond capacity. They do not have the extra time, money or staff to take on what is rightly a federal duty.

By turning police into immigration agents, the new law ensures that more immigrants avoid contact with local law enforcement, putting entire communities at risk. Word will quickly spread among immigrant communities that if they — as victims, witnesses or concerned residents — have any contact with police, they or their family members will risk deportation. They will remain silent and our streets will be less safe as a result. Experience shows that this fear will extend not only to contact with local police, but also to the fire department, hospitals and the public school system.

Who knows better about keeping our communities safe — Congress, or our state and local police?

Aref Assaf is president of the American Arab Forum, Paterson.

One part that I don't agree with is not checking white people and the claim of racial profiling. First of all unless the law has changed if you pull someone over for immigration questions, you are not allowed to pull someone over because they look Mexican for example. This can be done in a check point though where you pull everybody over and pick who you want to go to a secondary area for questioning. Any way, how can you say it is racism as African Americans will not be bothered and not all Hispanics are darker skinned. There are many countries where they are white due to their Europen ancestry.
As for catching criminals, if illegals cause a lot of crime there, then it may be beneficial.

Originally Posted by swatchick

One part that I don't agree with is not checking white people and the claim of racial profiling. First of all unless the law has changed if you pull someone over for immigration questions, you are not allowed to pull someone over because they look Mexican for example. This can be done in a check point though where you pull everybody over and pick who you want to go to a secondary area for questioning. Any way, how can you say it is racism as African Americans will not be bothered and not all Hispanics are darker skinned. There are many countries where they are white due to their Europen ancestry.
As for catching criminals, if illegals cause a lot of crime there, then it may be beneficial.

ILLEGALS come in all colors and nationalities. However, approx 85% are MEXICAN. {number may be off slightly} Profiling is quite beneficial.

This PC garbage has landed us in the dog house. I happen to be white. If a white woman committed a crime, I'd expect them to profile white women--NOT black women. This entire thing has gone way off the track, imho. Trans. Sec Maneta {the mental midget} refused to allow the airlines to 'profile.' Well, here they are taking my size 5 shoes and leaving the dark middle eastern guys with big clodhoppers alone. Try to feel under my blouse but the middle eastern or African gal with the sheet over her head gets to go through the line. How RIDICULOUS is that?? Don't even know if the she is really a he.

No profiling?

PATOOEY

{vent over

Aref Assaf is president of the American Arab Forum, Paterson.

FYI:
one of the MOST DANGEROUS MOSQUES in the United States!!
Along with Jersey City and another in one of the Oranges.

TO AREF ASSAF
It is pass time for our local, state police and our government to do their job of protecting us. When the police took this job they swore to enforce the laws as they are written ....when our government officials took their jobs they swore ..to serve and protect the citizens and constutition . And that's what we expect and nothing less is acceptable. Illegal doesn't have a color nor a race...it's illegal
The Sovereignty of our Country has been fought, hard, long, at a large price and still is.... by our Citizens for as long as we have a history
Weapons of mass destruction aren't only Artillery, Arms and Missiles....
It's.... the threat of Invasion of a Country, Potential passage for Terrorist, Digging holes and tunnels for unlawful passage into our Country, Over- staying visas, Unknown Illegals within, Vicious and Violent intruders turned loose on our streets, Violent Illegal Gang and Drug wars, Murder of Citizens and Government Workers, Smuggling Humans, Felons, Animals, Weapons and Drugs by the tons, Aiding and abetting criminal activity, Corruption, Mexican Militia crossing our borders questioning and trying to intimidate Citizens. Personal attacks on our Citizens, Property and Government, Illegal and Fraudulent use of State and Federal documents to obtain Money, Social Services and passage into and around our Country and bringing in diseases that threaten large populations. All of these atrocities result in Mayhem and Endangering lives of Citizenry.
As a result there has been a magnitude of: Theft of people's identifications, buying, selling and using fraudulent Social Security cards, Licenses, Voter's Registration cards, Passports, Visas, Green cards and other Government Documents, driving with/without legal licenses, no insurance and a danger to all people. A crippling effect on States spending, Federal Government spending because of Illegals fraudulently obtaining State and Federal Social Services, Education, hiding from the government, tax evasion, unlawful employment and businesses not paying their share. They didn't even have to bear arms. We as a American people have worked hard and long for our dreams and those of our Children and their Children, which we have a right to be protected from these dreams being infringed upon and menaced.
Let us not continue with the pretense that we can't or shouldn't close our borders, ports, deport illegals and that anyone is above the law. No person who is living within the law or who is concerned with the fact that fanacticals want to kill us should have an objection to being asked for ID. Let's not pretend these are immigrates, migrants or undocument workers....these are illegal aliens that entered this country illegally..Our immigration laws aren't broken ...they just don't have holes for illegals... ...Immigrants are legally entered people who come through a legal system of immgrantion....Those who are fighting for illegals needed a platform , so they use Immigration..so as to make it a bigger platform for themselves and than ...they use discrimation and racist accusations ...so they can get a bigger audience of supporters...WHEN THE LAW IS AGAINST YOU....ARGUE THE FACTS
WHEN THE FACTS ARE AGAINST YOU..ARGUE THE LAW.....WHEN BOTH ARE AGAINST YOU...ATTACK THE PEOPLE..
I'm tired of all the excuses used like racial profiling ... no it's criminal profiling....
identifying yourself or being asked for your citizen status is infringing on rites....no it's a form of security and safety ........they won't report crimes for fear of getting caught...well many americans don't report crime either....our streets are not safe now....do you think they will stand in line to come out and pay taxes, turn over their fradulent documents,how do you get your SS number back and cleared.oR MAYBE THE CRIMINALS WILL COME OUT AND SAY "HI"
Our history supports our Sovereignty, fundamental beliefs, civil rights, culture, customs, social behavior and laws...this is our country (fought for and paid for, by our lawful people) WE are People of great diversity and compassion. The basis of our greatness is that we live by laws and welcome all immigrants that enter our lands lawfully. We don't need some Foreign Government or it's people to tell us how to run our Government, what Language we should speak or support, what laws we need to change, nor do we need them marching in our streets carrying Mexican flags and signs, while our Emergency and Enforcement Agencies (are told hands off) The Mexicans should do all their protesting in Mexico and change their own country and Tell Mr. Fox to spend his million and a half dollars for them ...instead of trying to bribe our government to pass an amnesty bill and leave open the borders."The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result."
I FOR ONE AM... FED UP WITH POLICIAL COWARDNESS ...the failure by Government to uphold the Civil Rights of all Americans and Legally entered Citizens of this Country, to protect their well-being and safety, lives, property, enforce our laws and Our Constitution. So if one has to be asked questions or for ID...they should....I don't care what color they are...Illegals are all colors ,from all over and don't belong here.

WELCOME, HOTCBNS!!

Well said
Glad to have you in the fight!!

2ndamendsis..
thank you...
what really angers me is...it's our constution.our tax money, our civil rights and liberities....and our country that is in a state of lawlessness by people who invaded this country. They have learned to use our system to defraud,hide,wimper and whine about our laws,citizens and their (no status rights) which they don't have under our constution....nor should they.
put up the wall...even if it only keeps the women and children out...that's 2 out of 3... they should go home and fight for their rights like the rest of us did....our gi's in iraq and afghanistan are fighting for other's rights and giving their lives...while we are being invaded.....muders,rapes,molestations,doc fraud,drug and gang wars are going on...and there should whining because the cops are doing their jobs.
every town should deputize by the hundreds and people should be doing crime watch in their neiborhoods and report all that is suspicious...

Originally Posted by HOTCBNS

2ndamendsis..
thank you...
what really angers me is...it's our constution.our tax money, our civil rights and liberities....and our country that is in a state of lawlessness by people who invaded this country. They have learned to use our system to defraud,hide,wimper and whine about our laws,citizens and their (no status rights) which they don't have under our constution....nor should they.
put up the wall...even if it only keeps the women and children out...that's 2 out of 3... they should go home and fight for their rights like the rest of us did....our gi's in iraq and afghanistan are fighting for other's rights and giving their lives...while we are being invaded.....muders,rapes,molestations,doc fraud,drug and gang wars are going on...and there should whining because the cops are doing their jobs.
every town should deputize by the hundreds and people should be doing crime watch in their neiborhoods and report all that is suspicious...

Well said! and agree, of course.

However, the fence, although a good thing, isn't going to stop AMNESTY. It's a great diversion while they force AMNESTY in the form of a GUEST WORKER program into place.

BEWARE: they think they're going to sneak it in because we're so grateful that they've OK'd a Fence that doesn't have to be built for several years.

The guest worker program has got to go. Many get work permits and don't return to their native country when the permit is up. This is what happened in Germany and they still have a big problem with the Turks. No amnesty for criminals as that is what they are. First of all they are here and working here illegally, many don't pay taxes, use fake ID, and drive without a vald driver's license and insurance. Send them back instead of rewarding them for their criminal activity.

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

Originally Posted by swatchick

One part that I don't agree with is not checking white people and the claim of racial profiling. First of all unless the law has changed if you pull someone over for immigration questions, you are not allowed to pull someone over because they look Mexican for example. This can be done in a check point though where you pull everybody over and pick who you want to go to a secondary area for questioning. Any way, how can you say it is racism as African Americans will not be bothered and not all Hispanics are darker skinned. There are many countries where they are white due to their Europen ancestry.
As for catching criminals, if illegals cause a lot of crime there, then it may be beneficial.

ILLEGALS come in all colors and nationalities. However, approx 85% are MEXICAN. {number may be off slightly} Profiling is quite beneficial.

This PC garbage has landed us in the dog house. I happen to be white. If a white woman committed a crime, I'd expect them to profile white women--NOT black women. This entire thing has gone way off the track, imho. Trans. Sec Maneta {the mental midget} refused to allow the airlines to 'profile.' Well, here they are taking my size 5 shoes and leaving the dark middle eastern guys with big clodhoppers alone. Try to feel under my blouse but the middle eastern or African gal with the sheet over her head gets to go through the line. How RIDICULOUS is that?? Don't even know if the she is really a he.

No profiling?

PATOOEY

{vent over

Oh they profile alright, mostly white people.

BTW I haven't flown in years. I stopped flying shortly after 9-11 when I saw how they only profile white people in the airports. I refuse to put up with garbage like that. They put my life in danger so they can continue to be PC? Screw that. If I can't drive to the location, then I aint going unless it's life or death situation.