Thread: TX: Parts of ICE plan worry Hurtt

Parts of ICE plan worry Hurtt
By JAMES PINKERTON Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
May 20, 2009, 10:09PM

Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt was in Washington on Wednesday, supporting a study criticizing the controversial immigration program known as 287(g), in which his department is planning to participate.

Hurtt said the department has applied for 287(g) training for Houston police to use federal immigration databases but only to check on those booked into the city’s two jails.

He said he favors that portion of the program but is opposed to the street-level phase of the federal immigration law, allowing local and state police to make immigration arrests and process offenders for deportation.

The yearlong study of 287(g) by the nonpartisan Police Foundation was critical of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement program, concluding it erodes law enforcement’s public safety mission, diverts scarce resources, increases exposure to liability to charges of racial profiling, and heightens fear in communities.

“Immigration enforcement by local police is counterproductive to community policing efforts. It undermines the trust and cooperation of immigrant communities, could lead to charges of racial profiling, and increases our response time to urgent calls for service,â€

[quote]Leaders in the immigrant community were consulted about the jail checks and “reluctantlyâ€

this idiot needs to go! there was a report on the Chronicle website that he was talking about resigning.
I hope that it happens because with him leaving and the mayor of houston on term limits.... well, maybe something might change