Immigration program supporters gather in Irving

Group opposed to CAP also expected to gather


02:20 PM CDT on Saturday, October 13, 2007
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
bformby@dallasnews.com

About four dozen people waving American flags began to gather at Irving City Hall about 1:15 p.m. Saturday in preparation for a rally supporting the city's use of a controversial program that turns illegal immigrants who have been arrested over to federal officials for deportation proceedings.

A group protesting the Criminal Alien Program was expected to march to and rally at City Hall later Saturday afternoon.

The rally in support of CAP was organized by the Dallas-based Citizens for Immigration Reform. Group president Jean Towell said members planned to protest peacefully.

"Our government has not kept to its oath to protect us from invasion," Ms. Towell said.

About 60 Irving police officers were on duty to patrol the march and both rallies. Police planned to close Irving Boulevard near City Hall and Rock Island from Main Street to City Hall during the events. Barricades had been erected at City Hall to keep the groups separated.

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

Irving officials began using the 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.

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.

Irving has found itself in the national spotlight in recent weeks for its use of the program. Several city officials and residents feel the city is being held up as an example of how to use existing programs to enforce immigration federal laws without weighing in on the national debate.

At least nine North Texas law-enforcement agencies have adopted the Criminal Alien Program or a similar effort in which federal officials are routinely notified about arrestees whose immigration status is suspicious.

Nationwide, the numbers of people being handed over for deportation under CAP are increasing. In October 2006, ICE placed 7,138 detainers on suspected illegal immigrants who had been arrested on other charges. In August, that number ballooned to 18,628.

The national spotlight, however, has been focused on Irving because it may have made more referrals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement than any other city in the last year, Mayor Herbert Gears said. Federal officials said they don’t track which agencies have programs or how the efforts work.

In recent weeks, national networks and news shows such as CNN, Good Morning America and ABC World News have used Irving as the backdrop for illegal immigration stories.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who was in Dallas this week, criticized the program. On Friday, he and Irving Mayor Herbert Gears had a closed-door meeting in which they discussed details of the program and why Irving uses it.

Saturday's opposing rallies came less than a month after more than 1,000 protesters rallied at Irving City Hall and called for an end to the city’s use of CAP. That rally was mostly in Spanish and a few dozen supporters of CAP attended.

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