Thread: Judicial Watch Sues Chicago Over Illegals

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007 ... shtml?s=ic

Friday, Jan. 5, 2007 10:03 a.m. EST

Judicial Watch Sues Chicago Over Illegals


Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced Friday that it has filed an open records lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department related to the department’s policies concerning illegal immigration.

Judicial Watch’s lawsuit, filed on Dec. 22, 2006 in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., asks the court to compel the Chicago Police Department to comply with Judicial Watch’s Oct. 13, 2006 Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking documents pertaining to policies and procedures governing the interaction between Chicago police officers and known or suspected illegal aliens.

Judicial Watch began its investigation after learning of a resolution under consideration by the Cook County, Ill. Board of Commissioners that would declare Cook County a "Sanctuary County” for illegal aliens. The resolution seeks to conform the Cook County Sheriff’s Office immigration policy to a Chicago Police Department policy that prevents county employees from assisting with immigration enforcement and/or reporting suspected illegal immigrants to federal authorities. Judicial Watch launched an investigation to determine whether or not these policies and procedures are "consistent with the requirements of federal law.”

"Sanctuary policies are affront to the rule of law, worsen illegal immigration crises, and put American citizens at risk,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "Local police departments cannot continue to undermine federal immigration law. The Chicago Police Department should be required to comply with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act so taxpayers can understand its immigration policies.”

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Judicial Watch’s lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department is part of a nationwide campaign to help enforce our nation’s immigration laws. For example, Judicial Watch is battling ACLU lawyers in a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department over "Special Order 40,” a policy that prohibits police officers from inquiring about an individual’s immigration status, and reportedly restricts police officers from cooperating with federal immigration officials. Judicial Watch is asking the court to prohibit the LAPD from expending taxpayer funds to enforce and maintain Special Order 40.

In addition to the LAPD, Judicial Watch is also investigating the immigration policies of the Orange County, Calif. Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Houston, Texas and Westchester County, N.Y.

Excellent

Thank you JW!!!

hell ya. go JW

sue LA, national city. houston, austin. boston, NYC

Funny you posted this Crusader.. i was just on JW website reading this very thing.

http://www.wdcmedia.com/newsArticle.php?ID=2608

Watchdog Group Wants Cities Probed for Policies Offering Illegal Aliens Sanctuary

2007-01-09 --

(AgapePress) - Judicial Watch, a public-interest group that investigates government corruption and advocates for transparency and accountability in government, has filed an open records lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department. The suit addresses that department's policies and procedures regarding illegal immigrants.




Tom Fitton is president of Judicial Watch, which has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for documents dealing with how Chicago police officers are required to handle suspected illegal aliens they encounter. He says his organization believes the Windy City has become a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.




"You have some cities, including Chicago, evidently telling their police officers not to inquire as to someone's legal status, which we believe not only undermines the law but is contrary to the law," Fitton points out. He says Judicial Watch has already filed a lawsuit challenging the Los Angeles Police Department's "Special Order 40," which prohibits police officers from inquiring about someone's immigration status and even restricts officers from cooperating with federal immigration officials.




"This is a real issue," Fitton explains. "Federal immigration law is badly enforced as it is; we're not going to get anywhere in terms of enforcement when you have localities undermining the law as well," he says.




Local or state government officials who provide sanctuary to illegal aliens are violating federal law, the Judicial Watch spokesman emphasizes. "If the federal government did its job," he asserts, "it still wouldn't get anywhere if the cities like Chicago and Los Angeles were putting out big welcome mats, saying we don't care about illegal activity."




What such cities are doing, Fitton insists, is paramount to telling illegal aliens that "you can come here and do anything you want in terms of ... illegal immigration law, and we won't call the cops on you; or we won't even have our cops ask you any questions and call the federal police on you." To allow that to go on, he contends, is not only contrary to U.S. national security interests, but also contrary to the law.




In addition to investigating the handling of illegal aliens by police in Chicago and Los Angeles, Fitton says Judicial Watch is looking into the immigration policies of several other U.S. law enforcement agencies around the nation, including the Orange County (California) Sheriff's Department and the police departments in Houston, Texas, and Westchester County, New York.

Sick em'!!!

America is fighting back!!!