Thread: Migrants could be targeted by Mesa

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Mesa, AZ Focus Campaign
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Migrants could be targeted by Mesa
By Jason Massad and Sarah N. Lynch
Tribune
October 4, 2006
Mesa is considering joining the ranks of cities along the U.S.-Mexico border that have taken up a local battle against illegal immigration.

City leaders say they have no other choice but to act on their own because state and federal lawmakers have failed so far to develop a comprehensive strategy to address what many believe to be a growing problem in Arizona and other border states.

“I think the level of frustration is to the point where we feel we have to do something,” said City Councilman Kyle Jones.

The City Council will meet Thursday to discuss ramping up ordinances to combat illegal immigration, including new anti-loitering laws, sanctions against those who hire or rent living space to undocumented immigrants and a training program that would allow police officers to act as immigration officials. Council members say they’ve been talking about doing so for several years.

Hispanic leaders and activists across the East Valley say they plan to attend. Some have already raised concerns.

“The immigrants are a part of our community,” said Lupe Barraza, a Mesa resident and member of the Valley Interfaith Project. “I understand that they are trying to round them up and get them out of here, but I really don’t agree with that.”

Mesa’s discussion of immi- gration policy comes at a time when Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, faces sharp criticism for voicing his support for a 1950s deportation program, “Operation Wetback,” last week on a local radio station.

Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker, a Republican, defended the controversial lawmaker, even though other Republicans have tried to distance themselves from Pearce’s comments.

“I think that it’s an easy tag to put on someone — a racist label,” Hawker said. “If they are illegal, they are illegal.”

The controversy underscores what could be a barrier for city-backed measures to fight illegal immigration. Hispanic activists, city elected officials and even new Mesa police Chief George Gascón say problems could arise if the city goes forward with the new ordinances.

Gascón said that a shortstaffed police department should not be distracted by whether the people committing the crimes are here illegally.

“I think that we have to be really thoughtful about it and really clear in our obligation to deal with people that are committing serious crimes,” he said.

Council members said the city must act cautiously to avoid unwanted legal consequences. Anti-loitering laws, for instance, could be challenged in court and lead to lawsuits.

Councilman Mike Whalen said turning the city’s police officers into immigration officials could cause a different set of problems. If residents fear the police, they’ll be less likely to report crimes.

“Would you call the police department if you were undocumented?” Whalen asked. “When you knew that they could deport you? No, you wouldn’t.”

Still, some law enforcement agencies have used local ordinances to stem the flow of illegal immigrants in their communities. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has used Arizona’s antihuman smuggling law to arrest people sneaking across the border. In Southern California, the city of Costa Mesa and the Orange County Sheriff Department also have taken steps to train officers to enforce immigration laws.

Griswold said he’s not sure Mesa should do the same.

“It’s a huge frustration,” he said. “We have all the responsibility, all the expense and none of the tools to fix them.”
Contact Jason Massad by email, or phone (480) 898-6842.
Contact Sarah N. Lynch by email, or phone (480) 898-6535.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... g1004.html

Mesa council letter urges border reform

Mike Cronin
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 4, 2006 12:00 AM


Mesa City Council members have drafted a scathing letter to Arizona's congressional delegation, scolding it for not passing comprehensive immigration reform.

"Your failure to act has only exacerbated the problems," according to the letter, which the council will discuss at a Thursday study session and which will undergo more review before it is approved.

"We have to have comprehensive immigration reform," said Vice Mayor Claudia Walters, who wrote the letter. "We have to allow people to work here with visas."

The letter was written against the backdrop of the Senate's 80-19 vote Friday to build a 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexican border. Its cost is estimated at billions of dollars. In Arizona, the fence would stretch from California to 10 miles east of Douglas.

The draft letter represents the latest step in Walters' six-year effort to educate Congress and other governmental bodies that illegal immigration is a local issue, not just regional or national.



Walters cited several examples that she said demonstrate illegal immigration's local effects:


• The impact day laborers have on local businesses when they stand on sidewalks soliciting work.


• The cost to police departments, which must deal with the boarding, smuggling and kidnapping of illegal immigrants.


• The lack of an effective verification process that would enable employers to determine who is legal to work.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 02-ON.html

City council's letter to Congress

Oct. 3, 2006 12:00 AM


Dear Sirs:

For the past six years, members of the Mesa City Council have gone to Washington to plead with our elected representatives to enact enforceable and meaningful immigration policies and to enforce existing laws. We have reminded you that this is a federal issue with very real implications for local governments.

While we have encountered courtesy and an increasing level of interest over the years, we have yet to see the comprehensive actions that are necessary to address this critical issue. We believe that our country has reached a crisis-level in protecting our sovereignty.

Congress seems more intent on talking than on acting. This stagnation of will must end.

We know that each of you has supported a plan to deal with the immigration issues. That is not enough. We need you to work with others in both bodies of Congress and on both sides of the aisle to come to consensus. We are looking for a plan that will both secure our borders and allow for guest workers.

We are joining with other cities and towns across the United States to demand that Congress act swiftly to stem the tide of illegal immigration. We are aware that this is politically difficult; nevertheless, inaction is not acceptable to our cities nor is it acceptable to the vast majority of the American people. Your failure to act has only exacerbated the problems.

We will continue to write you in the weeks and months ahead to give you our suggestions on legislation regarding immigration. We are counting on you to move this important issue to a swift resolution.

We now have a new page created to contact council members to enact the ordinances and proposals.

Mesa, AZ Focus Campaign
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