Posted on 04/11/2007 6:29:51 PM PDT by SmithL
Los Angeles (AP) -- Opponents of illegal immigration on Wednesday sued the Los Angeles Police Department, taking aim at its long-standing "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding suspects' immigration status.
The Superior Court lawsuit seeks to force officers to inform federal immigration officials when illegal immigrants are arrested on drug charges.
Department policy prohibits officers from inquiring about the immigration status of suspects, a policy strongly supported by Police Chief Chief William Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
The suit was brought on behalf of unidentified police officers who are afraid to speak out but argue the policy creates a situation where the same illegal immigrants are repeatedly arrested when they could have been deported, said lawyer David Klehm.
"This is being done at the request of the police officers," said Klehm. "Everyone I spoke to told me their hands were tied with this policy."
The suit is based on a section of the state's Health and Safety Code, which states that in drug cases involving a non-citizen "the arresting agency shall notify the appropriate agency of the United States having charge of deportation."
Klehm, an anti-illegal immigration activist based in Orange County, filed a similar against the San Jose Police Department a few weeks ago.
Since being adopted in 1979, Los Angeles' Special Order 40 has become a mainstay of police departments across the country. Proponents argue that if police start enforcing immigration law, immigrants — both legal and otherwise — will not report crimes or help police in investigations.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
To do the job right, Marshal Law would have to be instituted, the National Guard would have to be called in and a curfew enforced in order to “take out the trash.” The border would have to be secured and illegals including the incarcerated deported; which would open up cells for American criminals roaming about the state unabated. All foreign born Muslims deported.(After all, we are at war.) And vacant military bases would have to be converted into prisons. Unfortunately, we don’t have the mayor, governor and/or POTUS who is up to the task and doing it right.
Or we can sit back, continue as we have and watch out state & the rest of our country turn into complete anarchy.
As researched & reported by the Heritage Foundation, every illegal immigrant who is “head of household” costs the American taxpayers $22K annually and ONE MILLION DOLLARS in his lifetime. So you can either “pay now or pay later.” There is no free ride!
And God help us, if there is another 9/11 type terrorist attack and next time it is nuclear.
So sooner or later, you have to “take out the trash.”
Flame away. I have my asbestos suit on. :-]
Exactly.
What is the basis for the idea that legal immigrants will be discouraged from speaking to police about crimes ? An honest person has nothing to fear from honest police.
Is it because the ‘legal’ immigrants are aiding the ‘illegal’ aliens ? If so, then they are also criminals. The police need to focus on their job — enforcing ALL the laws. If that were done, with deportation of every illegal alien identified, and punishment for those abetting them, the crime in these immigrant neighborhoods would decline drastically.
This is the answer to the police chief’s claim that they ‘don’t have the manpower’ to enforce immigration laws. Enforcement of the immigration laws will result in less crime, more funds, and more available manpower !
We need a zero tolerance policy against illegal aliens and those abetting their crimes. Funded by fines against employers and other abettors.
I know who the writer was but it sounded like you didn’t care. Your agenda is to confuse issues in a very petty way by pointing out a distinction with no difference.
The only way to make sense of that comment about ‘legal and illegal’ is to assume that the ‘legal’ immigrants have some reason other than their own immigration status to fear police interaction.
Such as aiding and abetting illegal aliens.
Such an assumption is pretty insulting to legal immigrants, if you ask me.
You need to read it again.
The pro-illegal alien crowd like to refer to illegal aliens as “immigrants” a misnomer.
And why are you attacking me? LOL
Why would I “insult” myself?
I’m proud of being an immigrant but I dont know what your point is?
Why do you attempt to cloud the issue?
A person is either an illegal alien or an immigrant...
There is a world of difference....
Attacking me is not productive at all....
I’m an immigrant and have merely pointed out repeatedly that illegal aliens are NOT immigrants and I get shafted for my efforts...
Why is that? I havent said anything to you personally ...
I was only commenting back to the author....
I wasn’t attacking you. I was referring to the comments of the police spokeswoman.
I was agreeing with you and pointing out that the argument that ‘legal’ immigrants would stop talking to police is fallacious and insulting to legal immigrants.
Hmmm Y’OK
On reading your #15 comment again, I see where I was mistaken.
You were musing on the post and not on what I said
I agree with you: illegal aliens ARE NOT IMMIGRANTS. See post #27.
By the way i’m not your enemy. My mother and grandfathter were immigrants.
Okay, then I will send you my number so you can school me.
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