Thread: Local officials sound off on new Houston policy

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Published: October 02, 2006 11:31 pm

Local officials sound off on new Houston policy

Stewart Smith
Staff Reporter

Local reaction is mixed to a new policy adopted by the Houston Police Department that magnifies the cooperation between Houston police and federal officers in search of illegal immigrants.

The policy states all police officers must ask if the suspect they have detained is a legal U.S. resident and if not, turn them over to federal officials. The policy was officially announced Sunday by HPD officials and has been met with support from community leaders. When asked if they might consider implementing a similar policy in and around Huntsville, law enforcement officials had a variety of things to say.

Huntsville Police Chief Jean Sanders said a similar policy is neither necessary at present nor beneficial.

“I don’t think I could put numbers to the number of illegal immigrants that we do have here, but we don’t see it as a public safety issue or a crime issue,” she said.

“My goal as chief is to try to strengthen the relations between the police department and the Hispanic community. I believe this would tend to deteriorate those relations. I would like to see us play a much more proactive role in the Hispanic community through education, bike team and more community-oriented type activities.”

Sanders said it is standard policy to inquire about residency for every person arrested though the department takes no action should the person indicate they are not a legal resident.

Walker County Sheriff Clint McRae said he thinks the Houston Police Department is making a wise decision to implement the policy and would be a bit more open to proposing a similar one around Walker County should the need arise.

“I think it is a tool that can be utilized to help work on immigration issues for illegals that come into the country,” McRae said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon.

“It would be something that we would need to evaluate very closely and look at to see what type of problem we have on the local level.”

John Escobedo, president of the local League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), said he would not be opposed to the policy, but only if it were to be universally applied.

“If they do it for everybody that’s fine. It’s when they pick and choose when discrimination occurs,” Escobedo said.” “If the police officers do it for everyone, it is not discrimination.”

However, Escobedo added, by and large, illegal immigration is not an issue local police should involve themselves in too heavily.

“We need to remember that police officers are here to protect our community. Immigration is a federal issue and should be handled by them,” he said. “We have an agency that has people who specialize in that kind of thing. We need to see police officers handle our own problems in our own community and let federal people handle the federal laws.

“I think we have a good community and have good people in that community,” he said. “There are not enough police officers on the street anyway to handle our own problems, much less the federal government’s. But anyone who violates the law, there should be consequences for that.”

http://www.click2houston.com/news/9985488/detail.html

New Immigration Policy Draws Criticism

POSTED: 5:59 pm CDT October 2, 2006
UPDATED: 6:22 pm CDT October 2, 2006


HOUSTON -- A change in the Houston Police Department's immigration policy is drawing criticism from politicians one day after it was announced, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.

A Houston city councilwoman said the change in policy could have made the difference between life and death for a Houston police officer killed recently.

On Sunday, city officials announced the change. Anyone booked into the city jail will be screened via fingerprints for their immigration status as well as their criminal background.

City leaders expedited the change when Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson was shot and killed on Sept. 21.

Charged in the crime is Juan Leonardo Quintero, a Mexican national living in the United States illegally. Quintero had been deported once and crossed the border illegally again.

"If the changes we're asking for were made, it is possible that the officers who've been killed in the line of duty might not have been killed. We have to do whatever we can to keep our police officers safe," Houston City Councilwoman Shelly Sekula-Gibbs said.

Mayor Bill White said the policy revision was under development before Johnson's death, but the slaying expedited the process. The city had already been negotiating the policy change with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he said.

Officers are still barred from asking people who aren't under arrest about their immigration status, a restriction that has prompted critics to denounce Houston as a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants.

"The only time that people will be asked whether they are born in this country or citizens of this country will be during the booking process," Hurtt said.

The mayor adamantly denies that Houston is a sanctuary city.

"The policy change the city just adopted does not, in my opinion, comply with federal law," said U.S. Rep. John Culberson.

Culberson said Houston stands to lose federal grant money that could put more officers on our streets.

"Until Houston changes its policy and gives Houston police officers the complete freedom to ask that question whenever and to whoever they want, they're under violation of federal law under an amendment that I passed last June. Houston is going to lose all their law enforcement grant money come December," he said.

The mayor's office disputes Culberson's claim that Houston will lose federal money.

The change in policy was reviewed by the U.S. Attorney's Office as well as the Immigration Customs Enforcement agency, officials said.

Prior to the new policy, police generally did not hold anyone for immigration authorities, even if there were outstanding federal warrants.

Huntsville Police Chief Jean Sanders said a similar policy is neither necessary at present nor beneficial.

“I don’t think I could put numbers to the number of illegal immigrants that we do have here, but we don’t see it as a public safety issue or a crime issue,” she said.

“My goal as chief is to try to strengthen the relations between the police department and the Hispanic community. I believe this would tend to deteriorate those relations. I would like to see us play a much more proactive role in the Hispanic community through education, bike team and more community-oriented type activities.”

OHIGOD...CLUELESS...you think "community-oriented type activites" are going to keep your officers safe or the people of your community safe from killers, murderers, rapists, vandals and thieves from other countries and other cultures?

Maam....you are ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS.





Sanders said it is standard policy to inquire about residency for every person arrested though the department takes no action should the person indicate they are not a legal resident.

Walker County Sheriff Clint McRae said he thinks the Houston Police Department is making a wise decision to implement the policy and would be a bit more open to proposing a similar one around Walker County should the need arise.

“I think it is a tool that can be utilized to help work on immigration issues for illegals that come into the country,” McRae said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon.

“It would be something that we would need to evaluate very closely and look at to see what type of problem we have on the local level.”

John Escobedo, president of the local League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), said he would not be opposed to the policy, but only if it were to be universally applied.

“If they do it for everybody that’s fine. It’s when they pick and choose when discrimination occurs,” Escobedo said.” “If the police officers do it for everyone, it is not discrimination.”

However, Escobedo added, by and large, illegal immigration is not an issue local police should involve themselves in too heavily.

“We need to remember that police officers are here to protect our community. Immigration is a federal issue and should be handled by them,” he said. “We have an agency that has people who specialize in that kind of thing. We need to see police officers handle our own problems in our own community and let federal people handle the federal laws.

“I think we have a good community and have good people in that community,” he said. “There are not enough police officers on the street anyway to handle our own problems, much less the federal government’s. But anyone who violates the law, there should be consequences for that.”[/quote]