Thread: Danbury Council approves ICE plan

I searched and didn't find this.

Council approves ICE plan
Danbury police to partner with federal officials
By Eugene Driscoll STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 02/07/2008 11:06:42 AM EST

DANBURY -- The Common Council voted 19-2 Wednesday to give Chief Al Baker authorization to enter into a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The authorization gives Baker the green light to enroll officers -- most likely two or three detectives -- in a federal training program that will give them the ability to enforce immigration law.

While city officials have insisted that the authorization will only be used in major crimes that have an illegal immigration angle -- like human trafficking and document fraud -- opponents believe the authorization will lead to racial profiling, saying only Hispanic residents will be targeted.

Immigrant-owned businesses all over Danbury shut down Wednesday, a symbolic protest of the Common Council vote.

Before casting their votes, several members of the Common Council acknowledged the fear that has gripped the city's immigrant community in the weeks leading up to the vote.

They vowed to keep the program in check and to respond any complaints.

"I know in my heart that (police officers) will adhere to the rule of the land, which is the Constitution," Republican council member Robert Riley said.

The talk of racial profiling hit a nerve with Republican Common Council member Jane Diggs.

"A lot of you look like me," she told the standing-room-only crowd in City Hall. "If you noticed, I'm someone of color. I really don't think there is going to be a witch hunt."

Instead, the ICE training will be a tool for
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officers, Democratic council member Thomas Saadi said, and will be used "supplemental to an underlying criminal investigation."

Democrats Duane Perkins and Paul Rotello voted against the measure.

Both said the public should have been brought into the dialogue a long time ago.

Perkins said he simply could not authorize the program until he sees a memorandum between Danbury and ICE explaining how it will work.

"To me, it is selling the soul of the city, sight unseen, to the Feds," Perkins said.

The public was allowed to speak about the ICE matter for 30 minutes at the start of the meeting.

Each speaker opposed the partnership. Many of the speakers were legal immigrants who own businesses in the city.

They worried the ICE partnership would hurt businesses. Illegal immigrants do not want to be undocumented, they said.

Daniel Ribiero, 22, said illegal immigrants risk their lives for a shot at the American dream.

"Imagine if this happened to your grandparents," he said. "You wouldn't be here."

Now that the ICE program has been approved, Mayor Mark Boughton said a steering committee will be formed with members of the police department, the Common Council and the public.

The committee, once created, will meet once a month and report to the Common Council.


http://www.newstimes.com/ci_8193994

Great another one...what state is Danbury in "Bulldogger"?

Conneticut

Originally Posted by 31scout

Conneticut

Thanks "31scout"

"Imagine if this happened to your grandparents," he said. "You wouldn't be here."

My grandparents came here legally. They had to pass a health inspection at Ellis Island. They did not sneak across our southern border.
And "Holy Mackerel", some people used to say they were "hard workers". God knows how they survuved without free healthcre and welfare checks. Absolutely amazing!

Wow!!!

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-2936--0-0.html

Democrats Duane Perkins and Paul Rotello voted against the measure.

Both said the public should have been brought into the dialogue a long time ago.

I have to disagree with this statement. Other places have tried to do this....have a civil, open dialogue with the community well before deciding to implement 287g and what happened?

The meetings were turned into a platform for thousands of illegal aliens, most bussed in from out of town, and their advocates, to verbally abuse council members, disrupt meetings, deny residents their right to speak, threaten violence, and engage in every other tactic meant to intimidate and bully they could think of.

Do they think people have forgotten this? Well, they haven't.........

Perkins said he simply could not authorize the program until he sees a memorandum between Danbury and ICE explaining how it will work.

"To me, it is selling the soul of the city, sight unseen, to the Feds," Perkins said.



After all this time is anyone to seriously believe that this guy has absolutely no clue as to how the program works? Or that he didn't bother making sure he understood how it works between the time it was first brought up until the day of the vote?

If he's that uninformed, then perhaps he shouldn't be sitting on the city council at all.