Ballot Measure Would Force Police to Report Undocumented Immigrants

POSTED BY CHRIS JENNEWEIN ON JANUARY 4, 2016

A Customs and Border Protection agent makes an arrest. Photo courtesy Department of Homeland Security

Backers of an initiative requiring state and local agencies to report immigrants in their custody in the country without legal permission to federal immigration authorities have received authorization to begin gathering signatures, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced Monday.

The initiative would also bar release of immigrants in the country without legal permission if federal immigration authorities request a hold. It would also provide for designating state and local law enforcement officers to perform certain federal immigration officer duties.

The initiative would also prohibit state and local laws or policies that restrict state and local officials from assisting enforcement of federal immigration law. It would authorizes civil penalties against agencies or officials that adopt or implement any state or local law or policy against assisting enforcement of federal immigration law.

Passage of the initiative would result in increased state and local law enforcement and corrections costs that could potentially reach several millions of dollars annually, a portion of which could be offset by the potential receipt of additional federal funds for law enforcement training, according to an analysis made by the Legislative Analyst’s Office and Department of Finance.

Valid signatures from 365,880 registered voters — 5 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2014 general election — must be submitted by July 5 to qualify the measure for the November ballot, according to Padilla.

http://timesofsandiego.com/politics/...ed-immigrants/