N.M.: APD Announces New Policy On Immigration Laws
APD Announces New Policy On Immigration Laws
Tue Aug 14, 8:12 PM ET
The Albuquerque Police chief is re-emphasizing a six-year-old policy of APD officers not getting involved in immigration laws.
The agreement between APD and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, or MALDEF, settles a three-year-old legal squabble that began at Del Norte High School.
In 2004, Albuquerque police detained three undocumented students until immigration officials could question them. The students filed a civil rights lawsuit through MALDEF.
A judge ordered a settlement by this August or the case would go to trial.
"The policies that have been developed by the Albuquerque Police Department are actually policies that have been in place since 2001," said Police Chief Ray Schultz.
Shultz told Action 7 News that the agreement reached between MALDEF, community leaders and the police department is more of a tweaking of old policy.
"The intent here is to protect victims, to protect witnesses and to make sure we hold criminals, who are violating our laws, accountable," Schultz said.
MALDEF is now dropping the federal lawsuit against APD.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/koat/20070815/lo_koat/13894453
