Police to start enforcing immigration laws

Matthew Benson, Michael Kiefer and Monica Alonzo-Dunsmoor
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 27, 2007 12:00 AM

Arizona and Phoenix police officers will be trained so they can assist with the enforcement of immigration law, under a soon-to-be-announced agreement that changes the state's approach to fighting illegal immigration.

The Phoenix area is to be the focus, but the plan will put local authorities on the front line when it comes to combating border-related crime such as drug and human smuggling. Members of Phoenix police and the Arizona Department of Public Safety who complete the Immigration and Customs Enforcement training will be able to act as federal officers.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Arizona Department of Corrections already have similar agreements in place, and sheriff's deputies were scheduled to begin specialized immigration-law training this morning.

Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for ICE in Arizona, confirmed that the city and state have expressed interest in an agreement with federal officials. A written request is expected "imminently," she said. A dozen DPS officers and an unspecified number of Phoenix officers will be involved.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Gov. Janet Napolitano, have opposed the use of municipal officers for what they've long deemed a federal duty: immigration enforcement.

House Speaker Jim Weiers, a Phoenix Republican and one of Napolitano's biggest critics on border enforcement, called the arrangement "a tremendous shift" for the governor.

Napolitano countered that "we've been trying to do this for years" and that her earlier efforts to get DPS officers involved were rebuffed by Roberto Medina, former head of ICE investigations in Arizona. He was replaced last fall by Alonzo Pena.

As for Gordon, he spent early Monday assuring Spanish-language media that he isn't interested in having Phoenix officers pull double duty in enforcing immigration law.

"We don't have the number of officers to do it," he said. "It's the federal government's responsibility."

Hours later, Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill, a department spokesman, confirmed that immigration duty is exactly what selected officers will soon begin doing.

"This is solely about being part of a task force that investigates violent crimes," Hill said. "People who live in the community who are undocumented don't have to fear a Phoenix police car driving by and that an officer is going to stop and ascertain their immigration status."


How it will work


The soon-to-be-unveiled program goes by the name IIMPACT Arizona, short for Illegal Immigration Prevention and Apprehension Co-op Teams.

After a limited number of local law enforcement officers have gone through federal training, they'll be teamed with members of ICE.

The intent is not, however, to target individuals or others who may be in the country illegally. Instead, the IIMPACT Arizona teams will go after criminal organizations that feed off the porous border. Human smugglers and drug runners are top targets.

"The intent is not to do what (Maricopa County Sheriff Joe) Arpaio's doing," said Napolitano's spokeswoman, Jeanine L'Ecuyer. "The intent is to focus on criminal organizations."

Weiers applauded the effort.

"Not a day too early," he said. "This should have been done a long time ago."

The IIMPACT Arizona program is to be managed by the DPS through the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission, or GIITEM. That means participating local agencies will be reimbursed for 85 percent of their personnel costs and will be equipped with vehicles, essential equipment and office space.


The sheriff's plans


The county Sheriff's Office has entered a similar but slightly different agreement with ICE, which is called a "287-g" agreement because it is authorized under Section 287-g of the U.S. Immigration and Nationalization Act. A total of 160 sheriff's deputies and detention officers are slated to receive training, as well. Twelve corrections officers already have received training.

Pena said that 40 other municipalities, counties and states nationwide are considering similar agreements.

Today, 39 of a planned 160 sheriff's deputies will begin training that will qualify them to enforce federal immigration law.

"This is a critical state, Arizona, close to the border for illegal immigration," Arpaio said, "and we're going to do everything we can to do what the people of this county and this country want done. They want something done about the illegal immigration problems."

Pena said the sheriff's personnel will receive in-depth instruction about immigration, nationality, law, civil rights and intercultural relations.

Detention officers will receive four weeks of training that, among other things, will allow them to put immigration "holds" on jail prisoners.


'We . . . suffer the brunt'


Elias Bermudez, founder of Immigrants Without Borders, an organization that advocates fair and just immigration reform, said he has concerns about police and ICE taking on the same duties.

"We are the ones that suffer the brunt of this criminal activity," Bermudez said. "Unfortunately . . . when the police joins forces with ICE, a lot of our people are going to lose trust and confidence in the police."

Arpaio and Pena, speaking at a joint news conference Monday, reiterated that they are not going to be doing immigration roundups.

"We're not going out to Circle K to look at 10 guys who look like they may be illegals," Arpaio said.

But Pena warned that if a deputy makes a routine traffic stop and suspects that the driver is in the country illegally, it will be within his or her authority to inquire.

But only an ICE agent could sign a deportation order, he added.

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