Thread: Detroit bans immigration questions

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... /1001/NEWS

City Council approves ordinance to prohibit the profiling of immigrants
May 10, 2007

BY NIRAJ WARIKOO

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

An ordinance that bans profiling was approved Wednesday by the Detroit City Council. It prohibits police and city employees from asking about the immigration status of residents.

The council voted unanimously for the law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, dress, physical appearance and immigration status. Under the new law, police cannot ask people for their immigration papers unless it was related to a crime.

In Detroit, some immigrants complain that, after being pulled over by police, they have been asked for residency papers. Others say they are afraid to apply for city help or programs such as home-repair assistance because of their immigration status.

"It's not something a city employee should be asking," said City Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr., who introduced the bill. "It's not within their purview."

Cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles have passed similar ordinances in recent years, making them what are sometimes referred to as sanctuary cities.

The ordinance was introduced after talks with Latino, Arab and Muslim groups. The Detroit-based group Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength played a lead role in pushing for the law.

On Tuesday, Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said she wants to make sure everyone feels comfortable contacting police when crimes are committed. In some cases, immigrants say they are reluctant to call police because they fear the police will turn them over to federal agents who could deport them.

Bully-Cummings also said the department is against profiling and that police should not generally enforce federal immigration laws.

Dawud Walid, head of the Michigan branch of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, said he is pleased with the council's vote. "The city of Detroit should be seen as a place that is not hostile to immigrants."

Contact NIRAJ WARIKOO at 248-351-2998 or nwarikoo@freepress.com.

View All Comments

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renren

If I comprehended this arcticle correct, officals can no longer ask immigrants (legal or ILLEGAL) to produce papers showing LEGAL status. Am I correct? Even in other countries you are required to show passports or legal status upon asking. This is insane. If you are waiting citizenship you should be required to show proof you have the right to be here until you are legal citizen. This, not having to prove legal status unless it envolves a crime is ridiculous, TO BE IN THIS COUNTRY ILLEGAL IS A CRIME.
This whole gov't on all levels, from the top right to the very bottom, needs completely new leadership. Maybe then we can emerge back to being a country instead of a cess-pool.

Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 10:00 am


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LX

It’s unbelievable how far the blacks in Detroit have sunk since July 23, 1967. They are now kowtowing to the Arabs and Mexicans.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 10317/1001

http://comm-org.wisc.edu/papers2001/ucwhat/ucwhat.htm

http://www.67riots.rutgers.edu/d_events.htm


Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 8:29 am


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bricko

...police cannot ask people for their immigration papers unless it was related to a crime.

Dumb Question: Isn't it a crime to be here illegally?

Good place to track info on this area of the country.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/

Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 6:43 pm


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bricko

Those wonderful politicians at it again. Being threatened by the usual islamists again . Hope they have studied up on their new duties as Dhimmi's.

Maybe a they will start giving out little pointed Dhimmi stars for everyone to wear. Since Islam is now ranked right along with Nazism.

Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 8:10 pm


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Bren

Citizens need to DEMAND that the police use the 287(g) program to enforce federal immigration laws. If they refuse to do so, citizens should file a class action suit every time an illegal or one of their children commits a serious crime.

287(g)
Here is an option that cities can use to LEGALLY enforce federal immigration laws in their communities. Please take a few minutes to look at the links below. Numerous cities throughout the country have already taken advantage of this program, which permits their local law enforcement to LEGALLY assist ICE with enforcing the immigration laws of this country. This is very important, as illegal support groups, La Raza, ACLU, Mecha, etc.---cannot claim racism, xenophobia, illegally targeting Hispanics/Latinos----as this training/certification is a federal program.

I have provided links below---copy and paste them into your browser. Pay particular attention to the links provided by Judicial Watch and ICE.

The 287(g) training and certification is offered through ICE. The 287(g)training/certification program lasts five weeks and costs approximately $520 per officer. I am sure that you will agree that this is a very small expense for gaining the ability to regain control and rule of law in your community.

Please call your local ICE/Dept of Homeland Security office to get your local law enforcement enrolled in the 287(g) Program so that they can be trained and certified and able to immeidiately begin LEGALLY assisting with the enforcement of our federal immigration laws in your community.

Please copy and paste the following links into your browser for more information, sometimes the links will not work if you just click on them.


http://www.judicialwatch.org/287_g_.shtml

http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/factsheets/section287g.htm

http://www.ice.gov/exec/s287g/section28 ... equest.asp

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Homela ... /em994.cfm

An ordinance that bans profiling was approved Wednesday by the Detroit City Council. It prohibits police and city employees from asking about the immigration status of residents.

Detroit is off of my summer vacation list.

Originally Posted by Newmexican

An ordinance that bans profiling was approved Wednesday by the Detroit City Council. It prohibits police and city employees from asking about the immigration status of residents.

Detroit is off of my summer vacation list.

Detroit is such an inclusive city! Why, they even let dead people vote in elections!

http://www.google.com/search?q=dead+peo ... arch&hl=en

Michigan is a beautiful state, Central and Northern Michigan that is, I`m origanally from Mich, now, I don`t regret leaving in the 70`s,
I never did like Detroit in the first place.

Detroit can't get any worse except to go to riot state and mass burnings. Oh, I forgot... that happens on Hell Night every year the night before Halloween. I guess things cant get any worse in Detroit.

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

I guess things cant get any worse in Detroit.

W

It probably has the worst political corruption in the country. Nobody likes the mayor, yet he is able to win elections with an obviously rigged system. Anyone who complains about Detroit's worsening conditions is smeared as a "racist"; blacks who attempt to change the system are smeared as "Uncle Toms". Detroit hides quite a population of undocumented Middle-Easterners who are on welfare and hate the United States.

The Govenor just recently tried inviting Illegals to work some of the farms.
Everyone I know in Michigan cannot stand Her.

Thank you Detroit City Council

2007-05-12

This week the Detroit City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that bans the profiling of residents by police or officials based on race, ethnicity, physical appearance, dress or immigration status.

Detroit police and other city employees can no longer ask people about their immigration status unless it is specifically relevant to a crime or a federal investigation of terrorism. We commend the Council on this.

The ordinance, introduced by Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr. after talks with Latino, Arab and Muslim groups, allows immigrants to call the police or request services without fear of being detained or deported.

It also allows people to breathe easy, without fear of being unfairly stopped, when they drive in the city wearing a skull cap, hijab, or having dark skin.

The group Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength (MOSES), based in Detroit, which brings together religious congregations for activism and empowerment, lead the push for the law to be passed.

Last week MOSES gathered 130 people at a Council hearing to ask council members to support the proposal.

Other cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have passed similar ordinances in the past.

Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings has said that people should always feel comfortable to contact police when a crime is committed and that police should not have to enforce federal immigration laws.

The passing of the ordinance was a culmination of efforts by different minority groups to cooperate and empower each other to achieve this goal.

The only disappointing aspect of this victory is that not enough Arab Americans were involved. The 130 people who swarmed the Council last Friday should have been 300, with half of them Arab Americans, even if the issue wasn't as relevant as it is to Arabs and Muslims. We should all be fighting for each other's causes.

At a MOSES-organized interfaith event last week, Rev. Charles Williams of the Mary Church Terrell Council, compared Detroit's minority groups to "crabs in a barrel," and said that we all need to "link up and climb out."

This ordinance brings everyone a little closer to the top of that barrel.
http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsart ... cleid=8552
The Arab American News.com

Detroit joins Chicago and Los Angeles as major cities that have similar prohibitions.

Residents of the city and others, especially those traveling in southwest Detroit where there are substantial populations of Latinos and people of Arab descent, say they are often stopped by police and asked for immigration papers.

Muslim men say they are stopped when they wear skullcaps and Muslim women when they wear a scarf called a hijab.