Phoenix to alter 'sanctuary' status

Phoenix to alter 'sanctuary' status


December 10, 2007


By Jerry Seper - A panel of former federal, state and local law-enforcement officials has been named by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon to devise a way to enable Phoenix police officers to question and detain illegal aliens and notify federal immigration officials that they did so.

The panel's creation comes in the wake of an announcement last week by Mr. Gordon that he has changed his mind concerning the city's status as a "sanctuary city," a policy that prevents officers from enforcing immigration laws.

Mr. Gordon told reporters during a press conference he could no longer support the city's 15-year-old sanctuary policy, saying that although "it was right for local law enforcement and our community" when written, circumstances are now different.

"It was written in another time — and it was based on the premise that the federal government would fulfill all its responsibilities regarding enforcement," he said. "Obviously, that has changed."

For the past several years, Phoenix has been included among several "sanctuary cities" in the U.S., meaning it did not enforce federal immigration laws, arguing that doing so was the business of the Department of Homeland Security.

Known as Police Operations Order 1.4, the policy said officers were not allowed to stop people to determine their immigration status, arrest people when the only violation was an infraction of federal immigration law or notify Homeland Security that an illegal alien witnessed or was the victim of a crime, surfaced during a family disturbance, received a traffic ticket or sought medical attention.

"The problem with illegal immigration is, on many levels, the most urgent domestic issue facing our nation," Mr. Gordon said. "It has divided our city and our nation. Phoenix has become ground zero in this debate.

"The problem is enormous and complex. It is a national problem that Washington won't even get around to discussing for at least another year and a half," he said. "But we can't afford to wait."

Mr. Gordon said the debate over immigration has escalated to a "perilous point," adding that rhetoric was replacing reason.

"There is too much hate. It's ugly; it's dangerous — and good people continue to suffer," he said.

The Phoenix Police Department argues its officers are not trained in immigration enforcement, and members of the Phoenix City Council said they should not have to divert funds from fighting crime to rounding up illegals.

Last week, Mr. Gordon appointed former U.S. Attorneys Paul Charlton and Jose Rivera, former state Attorney General Grant Woods and former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley to consult with Phoenix police officials and draft a new policy by Dec. 31.

"I have told them to start with a blank piece of paper — and to draft a new operations order that will allow individual officers to notify[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] when any law has been violated by a person they have reason to believe is in the United States illegally," he said.

Mr. Gordon told reporters that although he did not intend to turn the city's officers into immigration enforcers, the new policy should give them the authority to inquire about a person's immigration status while investigating other criminal activity. He also said the policy should protect the constitutional rights of those questioned and prohibit racial and ethnic profiling.

www.washingtontimes.com

I can't believe Police are against checking immigration status. 8O

With Friends Like This, Who Needs Enemies? Chapter 4, Hispanic News Calls for Gordon to Resign

PHOENIX (By Jon Garrido, Hispanic News) December 10, 2007 — For the last couple of months, Phil Gordon has suggested being mayor of this great city was, to a certain extent, about character. And although we, Hispanics, have not been willing to engage in his maneuvers to abandon us in favor of the right, the time has come for us to join together and become active in determining our destiny. We have been here for centuries and we continue to choose Phoenix to be our hometown. We are not leaving.

I can tell you without hesitation — being mayor of this great city is entirely about character.

Character requires substance and creditability. Being mayor requires foresight, service and advocacy. This is the important question: "Why isn't Gordon safeguarding and protecting the rights of all Phoenix residents?"(illegals)

Being mayor of Phoenix, the sole purpose is to defend the rights of all Phoenix residents, so it naturally begs the question — why would a mayor — the city's most powerful spokesman — choose to reject upholding the rights of all its residents and begin laying the groundwork for laying blame for everything wrong on one segment of the community?

Being mayor of America's fifth largest city isn't easy. Being mayor is advanced citizenship. You've got to want it bad, because it's go to put up a fight. It's go to ask, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage at Pruitt's furniture store advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You want to claim Phoenix as the city of hospitality and opportunity? Then the symbol of this great city cannot be a line in the sand. The symbol has also got to be one of its citizens exercising his right to protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your temper tantrums you share with Lou Dobbs.

Phil Gordon has been around for years. We have been operating under the assumption the reason Phil devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well, we were wrong. Phil's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Phil's problem is that he can't sell it! Because he can not sell it directly, Phil has devised a clever scheme of having others advocate what he has pre-determined needs to change if he is to climb up in the pecking order.

Scheming Phil Gordon has now established a committee to conclude what Gordon wants to be told — Migrants are responsible for an increase in the city's crime rate. To reinforce the message, Gordon devised kidnapping a public meeting to solicit input from the Hispanic community.

This is a charade and no matter what is presented by well meaning Hispanics, Phil Gordon will hear only what he wants to hear and in the end, he will ask the City Council to direct the city manager to change Police Order 1.4 to activate ICE being part of every arrest in Phoenix.

We have a serious federal immigration problem to solve and we need serious people in Phoenix to help alleviate this problem that is not of our own doing. Being manipulated into Phil Gordon's scheme to change police policy is not something we should allow ourselves to be used as a pawn in Gordon's devious charade.

No one should allow themselves to be used and as such, no one should attend the public hearing. In fact, the most powerful message Hispanics could send is to not show up so the TV cameras reveal an empty auditorium that displays a banner with the wording — We will not be used!

Even better — The Hispanic Community Calls for Gordon to Resign!

Gordon's premise to change the current police policy to a new policy to authorize Phoenix police officers to call ICE to round up undocumented is based on an increased Phoenix crime rate caused by the migrant community.

This is false premise for there is no justification in changing the police policy because statistically, the Phoenix crime rate has not increased because of the migrant community as an ASU conference address with a transcript included in Politically Expedient Gordon. Phil Gordon is not the least bit interested in actual crime rate statistics because Gordon knows the increase in crime rate brought about by migrants is a myth perpetuated to arrest and deport migrants who sole purpose in being here is to work.

Gordon is interested in two things, and two things only — making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle age, middle class, middle income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family, American values, and you wave a photo of you and Lou Dobbs as you scream about patriotism. You tell them Hispanics are to blame for their lot in life. And you go on television and have America's demagogue Lou Dobbs bless you.

Phil, migrants have done nothing to you. Migrants have done nothing but take jobs to support their families and put their children through school. Migrants represent the interests of family, religious values, and lobby for the same needs as everyone else in Phoenix — to be treated with dignity and respect.

We've got serious problems because of the lack of comprehensive immigration reform and we need serious people to address accord in Phoenix — not to extend segregation and whip up racist fears blaming migrants for the invented demise of Phoenix. And if you want to talk about character, Phil, you'd better come at us with more than a committee to appease you by justifying changing Phoenix police policy so you can be awarded a membership card in the far right because politically, it is astute to follow the herd mentality just as Napolitano has done requiring employer verification of employees' documentation.

Phil, it is time for you to resign so Phoenix can find a mayor with character that will represent everyone.

Phil, we thank you for this awakening. You have helped American Hispanics and migrants forge together to fight a common villain. (??????)While it is up to us to effect this awakening, at least you have helped us gain awareness and energized our community. People like you — with no character — are a catalyst to change passive resistance to active resistance that will blossom into an electorate to take control of our own destiny rather than rely on advocates in name only such as the likes of you and Napolitano.

This a time for serious people, Phil, and your fifteen minutes are up. In the best interests of Phoenix, Hispanic News calls for you to resign.

http://www.hispanic.cc/with_friends_lik ... resign.htm