LA police, community groups meet in immigrant quest. Policy

[butterbean]

http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California2/W ... 94CA.shtml

LA police, community groups meet on immigrant questioning policy

By GREG RISLING

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

Police Chief William Bratton met with leaders of immigrant groups Monday to discuss a possible clarification to a department policy under which officers do not ask people about their immigration status.

Bratton wants to clarify a section of the policy to allow officers to question suspected felons about their immigration status if they are believed to have been deported and then returned to the U.S. illegally. Bratton hopes it will help his department take repeat criminals off the street and reduce crime.

"This effort is to ensure the fear among the immigrant community of police will not be increased," Bratton said. "We hope to reduce that fear."

Immigrant groups believe the move could result in less cooperation between illegal immigrants and police, and also worry that the policy's clarification could spawn racial profiling and other abuses.

However, leaders were encouraged that Bratton promised to work with the groups over the coming months.

"We want to make sure human and civil rights are respected," said Salvador Sanabria, development director for El Rescate, a group that helped plan the meeting and provides legal aid and social services to Central American refugees.

"The foundation of these working groups is to avoid confusion and possible abuses," he said.

Police officials said they plan to take the item in front of the Police Commission in a few months.

Bratton's attempt to clarify department policy is the latest proposal by local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration laws.

In Orange County, Sheriff Mike Carona wants to train as many as 500 deputies to nab illegal immigrants who have been convicted of a crime. The plan calls for deputies to check the status of people in jail or under investigation for serious crimes.

In Los Angeles County, Sheriff Lee Baca has received approval to train seven civilian employees this summer for a six-month pilot program to identify jail inmates who are eligible for deportation.

Bratton stressed that the Los Angeles police policy, implemented in 1979, won't be changed but enhanced. It already allows officers to notify their supervisors about suspected felons who are undocumented. The supervisors in turn can contact federal immigration authorities, who can request an arrest warrant from a judge.

Bratton said the number of felons who re-enter the country illegally appears to be on the rise and his department comes across thousands of them every year.

"I guarantee that right now there is an officer arresting somebody who fits into this category," Bratton said.

Police officials said the clarification would serve two purposes: to avoid confusion among officers in the department who may not be familiar with the policy's wording and to reduce the number of illegal immigrants who prey upon their own communities.

"There can be a lack of uniformity in a large organization like this," said Assistant Chief George Gascon. "There may never be a perfect policy but we can mitigate the mistakes by working together with the community."

Sanabria said all of the questions posed by immigrant community leaders to Bratton had to do with racial profiling. He said many of the groups have always supported the policy but want assurances from police that the clarification isn't part of an anti-immigrant movement among law enforcement agencies.

"Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, many Latinos feel they have paid a high price," Sanabria said. "Where there are racist attitudes, people are prone to commit abuses. We will fight against any discriminating policies."

[Judy]

Sounds like a pretty good plan the Sheriff is trying to set up. Hope he can get the criminals and all illegal aliens out of his area. Sanabria from the Refugee Group.....just wanted his name in the paper....so accuse someone of racial profiling. Geez. To catch an illegal alien, you've got to know what they look like, where they might be from, and whether or not they've got papers.

I noticed of course that he didn't offer any specifics....just the accusation.

I'm getting tired of these so-called help groups that obviously aren't doing their job either...or else we wouldn't have all these problems.

I wonder too if the refugees are legal refugees through the UN or just regular illegal aliens.

[2ndamendsis]

Read his words VERY CAREFULLY........

Bratton wants to clarify a section of the policy to allow officers to question suspected felons about their immigration status if they are believed to have been deported and then returned to the U.S. illegally. Bratton hopes it will help his department take repeat criminals off the street and reduce crime.

"This effort is to ensure the fear among the immigrant community of police will not be increased," Bratton said. "We hope to reduce that fear."

This says it all!

[Judy]

2ndamendsis--so what do you think it means--when you read it very carefully, I see the issue I think. Help us clarify. How is it possible that they would be deported and then re-enter LEGALLY?? The waiting list is 15 years from Mexico?

Can you elaborate your thoughts......

[dman1200]

I'm so sick of these sanctuary polices and this political correctness. Why is this so hard to understand? If you are here illegally, you are committing a federal crime. Why can't that be grounds enough to punish them? Why do we have to wait for them to committ additional crimes on top of being here illegally? Enough already. Don't these idiots understand that rewarding lawbreaking or turning your back on lawbreaking only invites more of the same? I see giving sanctuary to illegals has really made that toilet in CA a better place to live.

I'm sick of these ethnic groups crying about profiling. So what? 90 percent of illegals are latino. That's just a fact of life. Nothing we can do about that. It's not our faults. If they obey the law then they have nothing to worry about, if they don't then they have a problem. If I committ a crime, can I scream racial profiling? NO. Obviously not. You have to have an idea of what criminals look like before you can go after them. Sure maybe once in a while a mistake might be made, but more often then not it works. Maybe if they profiled in the airports before 9-11, maybe 9-11 doesn't happen.

Only an idiot wouldn't profile. Guess who said that?
















Michell Malkin that's who and she's a Vietnamese immigrant, not some shmuck from the KKK.

[2ndamendsis]

I "hear" it as the only thing that's going to be important is "questioning felons or possible felons." NOT those that have broken the law by being here ILLEGALLY. He just separated the law breakers into 2 separate groups with his attention on only the felons.
{hope I'm making sense here, lol}

Maybe I'm wrong but this is how they've been getting around the issue. Can't upset the ILLEGALS or they won't trust the police. Etc. Civil Rights and all that nice sounding stuff.

[dman1200]

Maybe I'm wrong but this is how they've been getting around the issue. Can't upset the ILLEGALS or they won't trust the police. Etc. Civil Rights and all that nice sounding stuff.

Like the illegals cooperate with the police anyway. Enough of the winning their hearts and minds garbage. Round them all up and send them home. Blankety Blank their feelings. The only right illegals have is to be deported. That's the only right they have period.

[2ndamendsis]

DMAN wrote

Enough of the winning their hearts and minds garbage

YES! I agree!!

[Judy]

The only time I want any part of the hearts and minds of an illegal alien is when they are BOTH BACK IN THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.