Thread: OTTUMWA: ICE decision likely tonight

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Published February 05, 2007 11:57 pm -

ICE decision likely tonight
Council, mayor inundated with calls about deportation proposal

By CINDY TOOPES Courier staff writer


OTTUMWA — City leaders said Monday they have been deluged with phone calls and e-mails about tonight’s city council vote on the ICE program.

The program is on the agenda for tonight’s 6:30 p.m. meeting in council chambers, city hall.

During a Jan. 8 council work session, Ottumwa Police Chief Jim Clark proposed the council approve participation in the federal Immigrant and Custom Enforcement 287(g) program. Often called ICE, the program will be another tool for city police to use in dealing with illegal aliens.

If approved by the council, Ottumwa police will have an officer certified to deport an illegal alien who has been involved in violent crimes, gang/organized crime activity, human smuggling, sexual-related offenses and drug trafficking.

Councilman Tom Shepard said he’s heard the council chambers will be packed.

“If we could sell tickets, we could cure the city’s deficit,” he said.

Shepard said there is a lot of interest on both sides of the proposal.

“I plan to vote for the ICE program, but there is a lot of misunderstanding on both sides,” Shepard said. “Those who favor ICE think it will address a lot more problems than it will. And, those against it think a lot of things will happen and they won’t.”

Mayor Dale Uehling said he has been “hearing pros and cons” on the ICE program. He believes city leaders need to “weigh this thing carefully.”

He emphasized the police aren’t out to identify all illegal aliens. The program targets illegals who have committed a felony.

“We have to be careful. We don’t want to be divisive in this thing,” Uehling said. “I believe that the vast majority of Latinos and other new Iowans are an asset to our community. They are buying homes and paying taxes and a lot of them are learning English if they don’t already know it.”

Councilwoman Shannon Addison has received a lot of calls and e-mails. She has “heard from both sides.”

“But, the majority of contacts do favor the ICE program,” she said.

Addison has also spoken to numerous Latinos who expressed concerns about the program.

“We don’t need any more divisive issues. We need to come together as a community,” she added.

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Clark says ICE program designed to target serious offenders
By MARK NEWMAN Courier staff writer


— OTTUMWA — The city’s top law enforcement official doesn’t want families torn apart over a minor crime.
Ottumwa Police Chief Jim Clark has seen small infractions in other parts of the country result in deportation.
“That is a tragedy,” he said.
And if Clark’s recommendation is followed, that will not happen in Ottumwa.
He was discussing the ICE 287(g) program — Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which allows police to contact immigration officials after certain crimes: If an alien to the United States commits a very serious crime, police can call immigration.
So, someone who commits a robbery using a gun would be subject to ICE and the Ottumwa police would call immigration. Someone whose crime was not having a driver’s license would not be subject to ICE, Clark said.
The chief recently brought the idea to the Ottumwa City Council. And he will continue to bring them ideas.
“One of my responsibilities as a department head is to research new ideas and programs that may work [to increase public safety] in Ottumwa. Those with merit I then take to the City Council so they can decide whether ... it is worthwhile for our community,” he said.
This is just one more way of getting rid of criminals who, no matter what their race or nationality, are undesirable.
For example, Clark said, his officers made a big arrest over the weekend.
Sitting in the Wapello County jail right now are ... an illegal alien and his wife; He’s a drug dealer. We [confiscated] 17 ounces of meth and 5 ounces of cocaine valued at approximately $25,000,” said Clark.
Right now, that criminal could possibly get probation and hang around in Ottumwa. If the ICE program was initiated, “we could initiate the process against him so he’d be removed from the community.”
He said another man who just had his third conviction for sexually assaulting a woman is now on parole. The man is an alien with a legal visa. But he doesn’t need to be in Ottumwa, Clark said, to possibly victimize more women.
“These are offenders that no one should want in Ottumwa,” Clark said.
But one concern raised in the immigrant community has been fear: That those who are uncomfortable calling the police now will be even more afraid to ask for help.
But, once people understand the program, Clark believes the opposite will be true. They will be less afraid because the police will only call immigration on people who are serious criminals.
“Right now, undocumented immigrants are living in fear of whether they can rely on us. That’s now. And I think they are being victimized,” he said.
But if the ICE policy were in place, immigrants who are victims of crime would know that the police will not call immigration on them.
“So even the undocumented immigrants should feel safer calling us for assistance,” Clark said.

‘Wait and see’ at Cargill
Cargill Meat Solutions is Ottumwa’s largest employer. Nearly half of its employees are immigrants. Plant Manager Randy Zorn has not heard too many concerns around the packing house about the ICE program.
“I think people are kind of waiting and seeing,” he said.
In the meantime, Zorn said he’d like to see more communication between interested parties so they could come to a positive solution.
For that to happen, those involved need to have both input and understanding.
“We would hope all parties could reach a high ground and have some sort of understanding where everybody knows what to expect,” he said. “The parties need to get together, have a forum and talk through the issues. Get the issues out on the table.”
He also called for empathy.
“They [should] walk a mile in the other party’s shoes. Both parties,” Zorn said.
Immigrants would have to try to understand what law enforcement is trying to accomplish. But, local authorities and elected officials need to imagine what it’s like to come to a new country, and all that entails.
“Look at everybody’s perspective,” Zorn said. “I know that’s hard to do. But I know the police department has done a wonderful job over the years and are very capable of making that happen.”
Mark Newman can be reached at 683-5358 or by e-mail at mgnewman@mchsi.com.

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Council warms up to ICE proposal
BY CINDY TOOPES and LORENA PEREZ COURIER STAFF WRITERS
Feb 7, 2007

— OTTUMWA — On a 4-1 vote Tuesday evening, Ottumwa City Council approved participation of the police department in the federal 287(g) Program.
The vote followed numerous comments from council members and citizens. Council Member Shannon Addison dissented.
Chief Jim Clark of Ottumwa Police Department proposed the program at the Jan. 8 work session. He said the federal program would allow a trained OPD officer to enforce immigration laws on illegal aliens involved in drug trafficking, violent crimes and gang activity.
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 287(g) is part of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Clark explained state and city police officers can’t enforce federal laws, only federal officers can. But, a city officer trained by ICE 287(g) could deport someone.
More than 80 people attended Tuesday’s meeting and about 30 of them stood in the hall. The majority were Latinos. About a dozen people requested to speak on 287(g).
Clark said the “purpose is not to go to a business such as Excel” and take everyone into custody and police “will not” deport someone because of a traffic violation.
“287(g) is a tool and this past weekend we could have used this program because our drug task force bought more than a pound of methamphetamine, which was purchased from an illegal alien from Mexico,” Clark said.
If the program had been in place, the drug dealer could have been removed from the community. As it is, he could get probation, the chief said.
Clark also said Sue Boggs, a probation officer with the Eighth Judicial District, would tell the council about a man who was convicted of sexual assault for the third time and was released to the streets. If 287(g) was in place, police could have started visa revocation.
As a council member, Addison said she pledged to be “an advocate for the people” and, as such, she was concerned about the newness of 287(g). Ottumwa would be the first city in Iowa to have the program and Iowa would be the fifth state.
“As elected officials, we need to be thorough. I have concerns about fiscal constraints, lack of resources and unknown costs, such as training manuals and travel, and the potential of lawsuits,” Addison said.
She also said her research indicated leaders in Virginia had questions about a state agency participating in a federal program. She wondered if Iowa’s attorney general’s office had been notified of the city’s intent.
Clark said if the measure passed, he would contact the attorney general’s office.
Council Member Gordon Aistrope said an undocumented immigrant picked up on a traffic violation could file a grievance with the Ottumwa Human Rights Commission or a state civil rights group.
Fear has been created, Council Member Gerald Brees said.
“No one on the city council is out to hurt anyone,” he said. “If we have the opportunity to eliminate those offenders, we have to take advantage of it. I will support this program and I will hold Jim Clark accountable.”
Council Member Tom Shepard said there was “misunderstanding on both sides.”
“As council members, we have a responsibility to citizens to ensure their safety and make sure city staff are allowed to do their jobs,” he said. “And, with our freedoms come the responsibility to be good citizens. Those who come here have the responsibility to come to our ways.”
Shepard said soon all the presidential candidates will be coming to Iowa. He urged all citizens to “tell them to fix” the immigration problems.
Council Member Bob Meyers thanked Clark for his “pro-active” effort.
“For my generation, the law was the law,” he added.
After the meeting, some members of the Latino community offered comments to the Courier.
Hugo Cividanes said, “What was the purpose in listening to us?”
Himar Hernandez was “totally disappointed.”
“I found out again that [the council members] had made up their minds before listening to the people,” he said.
Norma Rosales said Latinos would be “going to talk to the mayor.”
“There is still a lot of work to do, a lot of investigations,” Rosales said. “[The council] needs to consider what was said. There is a history of abuse when it comes down to immigration.”
Clark said he would write a letter to the Latino community.

“I believe that the vast majority of Latinos and other new Iowans are an asset to our community. They are buying homes and paying taxes and a lot of them are learning English if they don’t already know it.”

Geez, are we talking about Hispanic-Americans or illegal immigrants. Someone is confused here and I don't think it's me.

OTTUMWA — City leaders said Monday they have been deluged with phone calls and e-mails about tonight’s city council vote on the ICE program.

Way to Go, FOCUS TEAM