Irving's numerous ICE arrests thrust it into national spotlight

Mayor calls it 'example' for others; opponents see racial profiling

08:51 PM CDT on Friday, October 12, 2007
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
bformby@dallasnews.com

Irving's Heritage District, City Hall and police headquarters are getting a lot of national face time these days. All for a federal program that's not new and far from unique to the richly diverse city.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who opposes Irving's program, met with mayor Herbert Gears on Friday. But ever since the Mexican consul warned immigrants to avoid Irving, city officials haven't been able to keep the satellite trucks away.

In recent weeks, national networks and news shows such as CNN, Good Morning America and ABC World News have used the city as the backdrop for one of the nation's most divisive topics – illegal immigration.

"I would characterize us as being held up as an example for other cities to follow," Mayor Herbert Gears said. "This national debate is raging on all over the country."

Other cities have previously found themselves in the national spotlight on illegal immigration – Farmers Branch, Hazleton, Pa., and Riverside, N.J., among them. But unlike those cities, Irving isn't getting recognition for drafting ordinances aimed at keeping illegal immigrants away.

The attention is focused on Irving's use of the Criminal Alien Program, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement initiative that's long been open to any municipality wishing to participate.

And Irving isn't the only city in the nation – or even in North Texas – using the program. But Mr. Gears said his city – which has turned over more than 1,600 arrestees since last year – leads the nation in the number of people in jail on whom ICE places detainers under CAP. Local ICE officials said the agency does not track numbers nationally by individual law enforcement agencies.

A recent spike in the number of detainers placed on Irving arrestees has drawn the ire of the Mexican consul and former Mexican President Vicente Fox and sparked a City Hall protest.

"Immigration as a domestic issue is one of the hot topics of the day," said Carl Rusnok, spokesman for ICE in Dallas.

Irving's use of the program has divided Hispanic and community activists over how best to voice their concerns with city officials. And groups on opposite sides of the debate will converge at City Hall today in dueling rallies.

But the program has also united a City Council that a year ago quarreled over how to combat illegal immigration.

"It has been a tumultuous year of pretty heavy debate," council member Beth Van Duyne said. "But now I think we're all on the same page and supporting each other. And I'm really proud that we're doing that."

Irving police began using CAP last year. Its purpose is to detain illegal immigrants who have been accused of a crime. The program provides for around-the-clock communication with federal authorities.

Supporters call the program a reasonable way to deal with a problem created by decades of lax enforcement and federal attention. Opponents say police are racially profiling in their arrests, and effectively handing over for deportation people who have committed minor traffic offenses.

Ms. Van Duyne said that with their unproven claims of wrongful arrests, activists unfairly drag police through the mud and shift blame to those who uphold the law rather than those who break it.

"It's deplorable," she said of the claims. Police "are following the law. They are enforcing the law. That's their job."

The heightened attention to Irving has surprised many residents and officials.

"That's the biggest shock about the news media – we didn't start something new. We're just enforcing the laws we already have," council member Allan Meagher said.

But to Irving resident Dar Hackbarth, it's not surprising that a city with Irving's demographic makeup would be in this position. Mr. Hackbarth moved to the city in 1999 because it was home to the Dallas Cowboys and Las Colinas, a leading urban center with corporate goliaths. But he also fell in love with Irving's diversity – one-third of the city's population is foreign-born, and nearly two-thirds are minorities.

"One of the reasons this makes such an interesting news story is because we are a diverse community," he said. "We have residents of many cultures who have been here for many years. You have an interesting mix of opinions."

Anthony Bond, a minority leader and member of the new activist group Irving Forward, said the publicity is creating false impressions about Irving.

"It's giving the city a black eye," he said. "It's making us seem like a community full of hate, and that's the furthest thing from the truth."

Jan Killen has lived in the city for more than 40 years. She hopes outsiders will see Irving as a city grappling with a divisive issue that the entire nation faces.

"If we can continue to tweak this CAP program and do it well and try to get dialogue going – and I know there already is some of that – we can maybe start being an example of a city that's working through this," she said. "Because it's not easy."

IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
What is Irving doing?

Irving officials began using the Criminal Alien Program in September 2006 and have since turned more than 1,600 people over to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation. That's about 11 percent of all people arrested in the 13 months ending Sept. 30.

What is CAP?

The program provides around-the-clock communication with federal authorities, who interview arrestees and place immigration detainers on those who are suspected illegal immigrants.

Why has it become controversial?

p> The number of detainers placed on Irving arrestees each month more than doubled this year when ICE officials stopped visiting the jail and Irving officials began alerting ICE by phone about every inmate whose citizenship was in doubt. The city's use of the program gained broad attention last month when Mexican Consul Enrique Hubbard Urrea warned immigrants to stay out of the city. A rally protesting the program drew several hundred people to Irving City Hall days later. But those in support of CAP inundated the city with phone calls urging police to keep using it. Dueling rallies over the city's use of the program are scheduled today.






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