Posted on 10/05/2006 6:01:37 AM PDT by radar101
Mesa is considering joining the ranks of cities along the U.S.-Mexico border that have taken up a local battle against illegal immigration
City leaders say they have no other choice but to act on their own because state and federal lawmakers have failed so far to develop a comprehensive strategy to address what many believe to be a growing problem in Arizona and other border states.
“I think the level of frustration is to the point where we feel we have to do something,” said City Councilman Kyle Jones.
The City Council will meet Thursday to discuss ramping up ordinances to combat illegal immigration, including new anti-loitering laws, sanctions against those who hire or rent living space to undocumented immigrants and a training program that would allow police officers to act as immigration officials. Council members say they’ve been talking about doing so for several years.
Hispanic leaders and activists across the East Valley say they plan to attend. Some have already raised concerns.
“The immigrants are a part of our community,” said Lupe Barraza, a Mesa resident and member of the Valley Interfaith Project. “I understand that they are trying to round them up and get them out of here, but I really don’t agree with that.”
Mesa’s discussion of immi- gration policy comes at a time when Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, faces sharp criticism for voicing his support for a 1950s deportation program, “Operation Wetback,” last week on a local radio station.
Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker, a Republican, defended the controversial lawmaker, even though other Republicans have tried to distance themselves from Pearce’s comments.
“I think that it’s an easy tag to put on someone — a racist label,” Hawker said. “If they are illegal, they are illegal.”
The controversy underscores what could be a barrier for city-backed measures to fight illegal immigration. Hispanic activists, city elected officials and even new Mesa police Chief George Gascón say problems could arise if the city goes forward with the new ordinances.
Gascón said that a shortstaffed police department should not be distracted by whether the people committing the crimes are here illegally.
“I think that we have to be really thoughtful about it and really clear in our obligation to deal with people that are committing serious crimes,” he said.
Council members said the city must act cautiously to avoid unwanted legal consequences. Anti-loitering laws, for instance, could be challenged in court and lead to lawsuits.
Councilman Mike Whalen said turning the city’s police officers into immigration officials could cause a different set of problems. If residents fear the police, they’ll be less likely to report crimes.
“Would you call the police department if you were undocumented?” Whalen asked. “When you knew that they could deport you? No, you wouldn’t.”
Still, some law enforcement agencies have used local ordinances to stem the flow of illegal immigrants in their communities. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has used Arizona’s antihuman smuggling law to arrest people sneaking across the border. In Southern California, the city of Costa Mesa and the Orange County Sheriff Department also have taken steps to train officers to enforce immigration laws.
Councilman Rex Griswold said he’s not sure Mesa should do the same.
“It’s a huge frustration,” he said. “We have all the responsibility, all the expense and none of the tools to fix them.”
...would you call the police if you were a citizen? YES YOU WOULD.Would you expect the police to hold illegals if you were a citizen? Yes you would. If illegals were not allowed a haven to commit crime against illegals would you have the current problem?..NO YOU WOULDN'T
Doogle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preemption_%28law%29
"Implied preemption": in an area where federal law occupies the field, then ask, was federal law meant to be exclusive in this area? (immigration/illegal aliens)
The city leaders are right. Addressing the illegal alien problem is a local as well as national problem and reasonable attempts by them to deal with it pass the `rational relationship' test: that is, they bear a rational relationship to a legitimate state purpose.
Headline should read "Criminals to be targeted by Mesa", which would be an accurate description of cracking down and enforcing THE LAW, as opposed to this wishy-washy PC coddling of these invaders.
This is a bit of surprise to me. I
thought Mesa was one of the Arizona
towns that had given up on keeping
the area legally American! Look at
the names involved in this story...
Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa;
City Councilman Kyle Jones;
Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker, a Republican;
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio;
vs.
Lupe Barraza, a Mesa resident...and
member of the Valley Interfaith Project
We all know Sheriff Arpaio's record from
his interviews on FoxNews. He's determined
to use any legal means at his disposal to
prevent the smugglers and Illegals from
entering his district. I can never find
a story on how much support he gets from
either political party, however. Anyone
seen a report on this?
So are the hookers and drug dealers, so are you proposing we provide services for them too?
What is with all these police departments? It sickens me that they are so unwilling to uphold the law. Perhaps if they got rid of the illegals they wouldn't be quite so overworked. Good grief, just by eliminating so many who don't read english would stop half the accidents on 7th Avenue where every night you see cars going the wrong way in the one way lane and turning left during the no left turn hours.
ping
Attention all U.S. mothers and fathers who are against illegal immigration. You need to get together to file a lawsuit against the U.S. government. Our government is guilty of neglect and dereliction of duty. It has caused our schools to be overcrowded with the children of illegal immigrants. Time that could and should be given to the children of U.S. citizens and legal immigrants is being taken by the children of illegal immigrants. First in teaching them English and then in actual time being given to teaching them. Each minute that a child of an illegal immigrant is given by a teacher to teach them to read, write or be taught mathematics is a minute taken away from an American child or legal immigrant child who would benefit from that extra time and attention. They are failing to protect the education of our children by limiting hindering the teachers in our classrooms who have to take the time and attention to teach children of illegal immigrants. The children of these illegal immigrants are not responsible for crossing into our country illegally. There parents are. They are guilty of illegal immigration. But our government is guilty of neglect and dereliction of duty by not enforcing our immigration laws to keep illegal immigrants out of this country.
Bttt!
I have an easy and cheap solution. Every time people come out and protest the illegals with signs and flags there are no illegals on that corner.
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