This is a transcript from Lou Dobbs' December 8th program:

Tonight, a town in southern California is taking matters into its own hands in our nation's broken borders crisis. Costa Mesa, California, it's 100 miles from the border with Mexico. It will soon have the first local police force in the nation with the authority to enforce federal immigration laws.

Under a new agreement, local police will have the power to investigate whether criminal suspects in their custody are also illegal aliens. Only federal agents are able to investigate a criminal suspect's immigration status as of now. Sometimes critics say federal agents don't even bother with their responsibility.

Joining me tonight, Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor, who takes the responsibility very seriously, pushing hard for this proposal, which just barely passed the Costa Mesa City Council early this morning. Mr. Mayor, good to have you here.

MAYOR ALLAN MANSOOR, COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA: Thank you, Lou.

DOBBS: Did these new powers for your police department speak to the lack of enforcement on the part of federal officials?

MANSOOR: Well, certainly the ICE or Immigration Customs and Enforcement are over-stressed. I think it's false for people to expect or to think or assume that everyone that goes to jail or prison and is also here illegally, is then subsequently deported.

ICE just does not have all those resources. So what we're doing, we're going to try to do in Costa Mesa, is to enter into an agreement with ICE, into a memorandum of understanding, which will give some of our officers -- are getting details, our special enforcement detail, jail custody officers and our investigators the tools they need to focus on the most violent offenders. DOBBS: The most violent offenders. You're already keenly aware, and there is already a criticism of the vote on the basis that one of the words is it will have a chilling effect in the Latino community. A number of people suggesting that this is an anti-Hispanic decision and vote. How do you react?

MANSOOR: Lou, this is about public safety. We've always had a great working relationship with the public. All members of the public, regardless of their heritage or their race. We have a great chief. He's very professional and well-respected by the community. And none of that will change. The only thing that will change is that the community will be made safer.

DOBBS: It will be made safer. There are -- is almost, frankly to me, Mr. Mayor, remarkable that there would be any sort of controversy surrounding the fact that a law enforcement officer -- whether it be in your city or any city in this country, federal, state or local law enforcement officer, would have to explain why he or she wanted to know a criminal suspect's national origin in a time of which we're engaged in the global war on radical Islamist terrorism. Is that not to you just confounding?

MANSOOR: Well, Lou, I don't see how anyone can object to this. This is the very least that the American public expects from its elected officials and its law enforcement. And the fact is that this will even make the community safer for those here that are here illegally but are otherwise law abiding in this country.

DOBBS: Mayor Mansoor, we thank you for being here again, and again, congratulations on winning your vote. We appreciate you being here.

MANSOOR: Thank you very much.