San Jose police must report illegal migrants, suit says

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 5 April 2007 | Jessie Mangaliman

[CounterCounterCulture]

San Jose police must report illegal migrants, suit says

S.J. COPS' REFUSAL IS UNDER ATTACK

Amid a national debate over whether local police departments should help enforce immigration rules, a new lawsuit is charging San Jose and Police Chief Rob Davis with failing to report "suspected" illegal immigrants to federal authorities - a practice the suit alleges is itself against the law.

The suit, filed by an Orange County attorney and activist, challenges a practice that San Jose and many other police departments openly acknowledge. If police were to pursue the immigration status of suspects, victims and witnesses, Davis has said, they would violate the trust of immigrant communities that they need to do their jobs.

But attorney David Klehm echoes the argument of federal officials who have asked police departments around the country to take a more active stance: Illegal immigrants who are arrested ought to be deported, rather than being "recycled" through the U.S. criminal justice system.

Klehm's suit, filed on behalf of Roberta Allen and Carol Joyal of San Jose, comes at a critical time. At least five Bay Area cities - San Jose, East Palo Alto, San Francisco, Richmond and San Rafael - have passed city resolutions in recent months denouncing federal agents' sweeps to round up illegal immigrants in Northern California. In those raids, agents are targeting immigrants who have separate criminal convictions that make them deportable, but undocumented immigrants without criminal records have also been caught in the effort.

[CounterCounterCulture]

I'm proud to call Roberta my friend.

[CounterCounterCulture]

ping-a-rooni

[Moonman62]

If police were to pursue the immigration status of suspects, victims and witnesses, Davis has said, they would violate the trust of immigrant communities that they need to do their jobs.

I thought their job was to protect citizens, not illegals. And if illegals are on the next bus home it shouldn't matter if the police have their trust.

[org.whodat]

And if illegals are on the next bus home it shouldn't matter if the police have their trust.

There you go making a logical statement about mentally challenged police and their supervisors.

[martin_fierro]

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[CounterCounterCulture]

LOL! I’ll mow my own freaking lawn. :-)

[tumblindice]

“illegal migrants”

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode08/usc_sup_01_8.html

(thumbing through US Code) Nope, nothing about any “illegal migrants”. Just `aliens’, `nationality’ and `immigration’.
Let `em go, Lou.

Sure Chief.

[ßuddaßudd]

Its so much easier and safer for the SJPD to hassle the homelss than illegals. We’ll see what happens here....

[Tennessee Nana]

what about violating the trust of the American citizens who pay their wages and who THEY ARE EMPLOYED TO PROTECT?

[teawithmisswilliams]

I mow our lawn. No hired housecleaners or illegal childcare, either.