Illegal immigration a top issue in Irving race

12:00 AM CDT on Thursday, March 15, 2007
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
eaasen@dallasnews.com

Illegal immigration – and what Irving is or isn't doing about it – might be topic No. 1 in the race for Place 1 on the Irving City Council.

The challenger, Thomas D. Spink, says the city isn't doing enough to combat illegal immigrants. If elected, he said, he'd push the council to get Irving police officers to join a federal initiative that trains law enforcement to process and detain illegal immigrants.

"We've got to stand by what's good for this country," Mr. Spink said. "We've got to support it and implement it and not just talk about it."

The incumbent, James Dickens, supports Irving's current efforts. Immigration agents enter the Irving jail regularly and remove inmates. But Mr. Dickens said the city could do more, so he's exploring the idea of getting the city to join in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program.

"I'm proud that we're the No. 1 exporter of criminal illegal aliens in the Dallas-Fort Worth area," Mr. Dickens said.

"One never wants to rest," he added. "There could always be ... improvement."

Both candidates agree on at least one thing: There's more to this election than illegal immigration. Their concerns range from code enforcement to neighborhood revitalization.

Mr. Dickens, on the council since 1999, is running for his fourth term. Mr. Spink, an insurance agent, ran for Irving mayor in 2005, when he received about 3 percent of the vote. Election Day is May 12.

Illegal immigration has been simmering in Irving, partly because of the desires of several residents that the city join the 287(g) program.

The City Council decided last year that it wasn't interested in participating in the federal initiative.

Some council members say that Irving is doing more to address illegal immigration than other area cities.

But Mr. Dickens has sent a memo to City Manager Tommy Gonzalez requesting that city officials check into "an enhanced coordinated effort" with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

An Irving police employee who's undergone ICE training could then guide colleagues "to assure that the city of Irving is getting maximum output of processing illegal immigrants involved in criminal activity," Mr. Dickens wrote to Mr. Gonzalez.

Mr. Dickens, who is Hispanic, said in an interview that he's not interested in getting numerous police employees trained or "hire a bunch of people to do the federal government's job."

Mr. Spink wouldn't comment on Mr. Dickens' memo or the City Council's stance on illegal immigration.

"I don't care what he says about 287(g)," Mr. Spink said. "My opinion is my opinion. I'm not here to determine what Mr. Dickens is doing."

Besides immigration matters, Mr. Spink, 68, said he wants to focus on improving code enforcement, luring more business to Irving and revitalizing south Irving.

Mr. Spink wants the city to broadcast remarks from residents at the end of City Council meetings on Irving's cable network. Council members stopped televising the forum because they were concerned about comments that some residents had made.

Mr. Dickens, 53, a city of Irving retiree, wants to continue overseeing progress made on various redevelopment projects, including the Texas Stadium site and downtown in south Irving.

He also wants to focus on improving code enforcement.

In other Irving council election news, Place 2 incumbent Beth Van Duyne and Place 7 incumbent Sam Smith don't face opposition.

A special election will also be held May 12 for the Place 5 seat after Lowell Cannaday announced that he's stepping down to run for Dallas County sheriff. Filing runs through April for the Place 5 seat.

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