NOPD vows not to ask immigrants about status

It wants victims and witnesses to come forward without fear

Thursday, September 10, 2009 By Brendan McCarthy

In an effort to bolster relations and trust with members of the city's burgeoning Hispanic community, New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley announced Wednesday afternoon that his officers will not ask crime victims or witnesses about their documentation status.

Riley, alongside Mayor Ray Nagin and representatives of the law-enforcement and Hispanic communities, made the announcement at a news conference calling for immigration reform.

"We will not under any circumstances focus on deportation," Riley said, noting that his department's goal is to protect and serve everyone.

Their announcement seemed to enshrine the city's unofficial policing stance as it pertains to illegal immigrants, many of whom flocked to rebuild the city in the wake of the 2005 flood and, in turn, became prime targets for armed robbers and unscrupulous contractors.

Several months ago, the NOPD named officer Janssen Valencia its liaison to the Hispanic community, and Valencia said in an interview that he would not question crime witnesses or victims about their immigration status. But Riley's statement appeared to mark the first public enunciation of the policy.

"We want them to know that -- unless you are the violator or the perpetrator -- there is no threat of deportation or arrest, as it relates to the New Orleans Police Department," Riley said.

Countless other cities across the country have adopted like-minded guidelines, he said.

The announcement brought local leaders for the first time into a highly charged and politicized national debate on how to police and punish illegal immigrants. Late last month, a coalition of more than 500 local and national groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, sent President Obama a letter demanding that he end a federal program that allows local police to enforce federal immigration law.

--- Not 'looking the other way' ---

It is unclear what effect, if any, the NOPD's stance will have on the work of federal agencies that investigate and deport illegal immigrants locally.

Temple Black, spokesman for the New Orleans division of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, released a statement Wednesday saying the agency is mandated by Congress to enforce a wide range of federal immigration and customs laws.

"While the courts and various local governments decide how to approach law-making in their communities, ICE will continue to enforce the federal laws throughout the country," he said.

At the news conference, Riley said he had not spoken to federal authorities about the in

"Why should I?" Riley asked.

He reiterated that the NOPD is not "looking the other way" on immigration status.

Nagin said the Hispanic community has been invaluable to the city, before and after the storm.

"We want to say that you're welcome in New Orleans," Nagin said. "You're welcome in this country. And we want to make sure that from a law enforcement standpoint, that whatever happens in our community, that you are treated fairly, you are treated just as any other citizen is treated in this community."

--- Many fear the police ---

The news conference followed a meeting between Riley and Arturo Venegas, director of the Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative, a group of police leaders pushing for immigration reform.

Venegas, the former police chief of Sacramento, Calif., said the country's immigration system is broken, and his group is pushing for a new legal status for the millions of illegal immigrants in the country.

Riley has been meeting for more than three years with local leaders of the Hispanic community to address the public-safety issues facing them.

Riley said that when victims of crime come forward, but are later deported because of their status, it becomes a case of "double jeopardy."

"We are not going to make someone a victim twice," he said.

He acknowledged Wednesday that the city has seen a huge rise in undocumented laborers and that many are afraid to call or cooperate with police. The result is that cases collapse and criminals go free, he said.

Riley estimated that between 20,000 and 60,000 illegal immigrants reside in New Orleans, though he acknowledged the number is extremely difficult to pin down.

Riley said his department has made reforms to deal with the growing immigrant community, highlighted by making Valencia, a native of Colombia and a 12-year veteran of NOPD, the first-ever Hispanic community liaison. Currently 26 officers are able to serve as translators for Spanish-speaking citizens, Riley said. In addition, about 350 officers have been sent to very basic Spanish classes.

Martin Gutierrez, director of Hispanic Ministries for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, credited the NOPD for the recent changes.

Gutierrez noted, however, that a severe sense of distrust of the police still exists, and that it's magnified by the fear of deportation. He said Riley's announcement should ease the concerns of many immigrants.

. . . . . . .

Brendan McCarthy can be reached at bmccarthy@timespicayune.com


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