Posted on 08/25/2007 1:11:47 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
There has been some community discussion on the web and talk radio lately that is making the claim that the City of Fresno is a “Sanctuary City”. Cities that are considered sanctuary cities have adopted a “don’t ask-don’t tell” policy where they don’t require their employees, including law enforcement officers, to report to federal officials aliens who may be illegally present in the country.
The source of this is March 11, 2004 report by the Congressional Research Service that indicated Fresno has adopted policies not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and is a Sanctuary City. The Congressional Research Service report is wrong. The City of Fresno has none of these so-called sanctuary policies in place and fully cooperates with Federal Authorities.
The reality is that this label is pure urban myth. Fresno is not a sanctuary city and never has been.
Our local law enforcement authorities cooperate with federal immigration officials and always have. We have in place procedures for dealing with the immigration status of people arrested and it is a good cooperative arrangement with the Fresno Police Department and the Fresno County Sheriff's Department.
The following was provided to me by Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer in response to my question regarding this issue. It does an excellent job of describing how the City approaches the issue and how well we work with the County and Federal Government:
“You are correct in that our officers do not try to determine a person's legal status. However, once they are booked into jail efforts are made to determine their legal status and if they are found to be here illegally then Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) is notified and an "Immigration Hold" is placed on them.
Our approach to the immigration issue is very consistent with other major city law enforcement agencies in California. The reality is there is plenty of work for local law enforcement officers in just enforcing state law. To broaden our scope and begin enforcing federal immigration laws would be unmanageable. I would not know where to start and where it would end. As you know there are thousands upon thousands of undocumented people in Fresno, but we really do not have an effective way of knowing whether they are here legally or illegally. Historically that has been the responsibility of ICE. However, we will arrest those who have an outstanding felony warrant for violating immigration laws. That is someone who was deported and then returns and a warrant is issued for their arrest. Again, ICE is brought in on these issues.
I do recall many years ago that a decision came from our Council that we would not participate as a city in immigration raids or sweeps. That was in the form of a resolution, but I understand that no one is able to locate it. This stemmed from an incident that occurred in Sanger I believe. So our internal policy based on this resolution has been for many years that we would not conduct sweeps or raids for the purpose of rounding up undocumented immigrants.
In terms of defying the 911 Commission report, I do not believe that is the case. We have simply as a city chosen to utilize our limited resources enforcing state law and have left the enforcement of federal immigration laws up to the appropriate agency which is ICE. The same holds true for Fish and Game violations or federal violations that fall under the jurisdiction of the FBI or Secret Service. We simply turn the investigation over to them.”
In regards to this supposed resolution, I received the following comment from our City Clerk, Becky Klisch:
“No policy has been adopted as far as I can find, however in 1988 there was a proclamation pertaining to amnesty for illegal aliens. I understand the resos did not go so far as to establish Fresno as a sanctuary”
The City Council in 1988 (19 years ago) has long since gone away. The proclamation that the City Council passed in 1988 carried no authority with it and was nothing more than a statement of opinion by the members serving at that time. Recently when our current Mayor tried to get a resolution passed condemning the ICE raids against criminal aliens, it failed a City Council vote.
Fresno is NOT a sanctuary City. The City Council has not passed anything that would indicate we are or wish to be. This is an urban myth that needs to go away.
ping
Sounds like a de facto sanctuary city to me.
Many sanctuary cities have not adopted formal ordinances or resolutions, but in practice just do not make any effort to relate their suspects to immigration status or make overt attempts to cooperate with ICE. Looks like what they are doing in Fresno.
Meanwhile, over on the right side, Hazleton PA has filed an appeal:
http://citizensvoice.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18748344&BRD=2259&PAG=461
'Sanctuary Cities' Embrace Illegal Immigrants
...the Congressional Research Service begs to differ.
Thats ok - San Jose will be happy to take all those unappreciated illegals off Fresno's hands.
They've got plenty of space in their ER's, property tax money to spare, and the fountain in Cesar Chavez Square has been declared E Coli free (for now).
I am being evicted from the place I live because the illegals don’t like me. I hope to have a trial and hope any of’em show up to voice their complaints against me.
The other day a neighbor was playing her tecate so loud it was rattling my windows and when I asked her nicely to turn it down (hand signal turning knob down) she said “No, my house.” JMHO, not citizen material.
A Spanish speaking police officer on a noise complaint made quick work of her selfish attitude. “Not ready for reconquista” quite yet.
You call me a bigot to my face Linseed Grahamnesty, and I’ll pop you one in the nose.
That’s the report he is refuting.
There is a way, with little extra expenditure, to get info. Many law enforcement departments, unbeknownst to most people, have many members that have already been federally deputized for the war on drugs.
How much work would it be to just computerize information about illegals whereabouts? Would that be asking too much? Relax Whorealdo, the mandatory emblem comes much later.
“You are correct in that our officers do not try to determine a person’s legal status.”
“I do recall many years ago that a decision came from our Council that we would not participate as a city in immigration raids or sweeps ... we would not conduct sweeps or raids for the purpose of rounding up undocumented immigrants.”
“in 1988 there was a proclamation pertaining to amnesty for illegal aliens. “
Nice parsing. One wonders how hard she looked.
Illegal immigration is right up there with the most important regional, state and federal issues for me. That being said, I don't expect local police agencies to do sweeps. Sweeps are the job of federal officials.
Local police agencies do have their hands full with local law enforcement. You can't just stop that enforcement to focus on federal law enforcement IMO.
If the Fresno police department does run immigration status checks along with background checks once a person is incarcerated, that's good. Holding the individual for immigration services is good.
This does sound reasonable to me. Good for Fresno. Good for us.
I have pondered what I want an officer to do that finds a person to be an illegal on the street. It's a tough issue.
If there is a pariah on the street (not referring to illegals here), then I do want even illegals to be able to approach the police to get that person off the street. Citizen and illegal alike would be at risk if they didn't. For that reason alone, I am uncomfortable with police checking the status of individuals on the street. Even illegals need to be able to approach the police.
No matter what my feelings are about the legitimacy of illegal aliens being here, I do not want them abused or seriously injured. I simply want them to repatriate themselves to their nation of origion and stop sapping our system dry.
...however, once they are booked into jail efforts are made to determine their legal status and if they are found to be here illegally then Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) is notified and an "Immigration Hold" is placed on them.
However, we will arrest those who have an outstanding felony warrant for violating immigration laws. That is someone who was deported and then returns and a warrant is issued for their arrest. Again, ICE is brought in on these issues.
Last week a FReeper wrote an Open Letter to Illegal Immigrants that addressed my own sentiments. I’d highly recommend the letter for wide circulation. People must accept the core issues surrounding illegal immigration are not about race.
Please take a moment to read the letter by Philistone http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1882775
The last sentence well summarizes what is at stake:
“Instead of trying to make America resemble the homeland that you fled, why don’t you go back and try to make your homeland resemble the America that you sought.”
This statement is an outright lie. Don't need to read the rest of it.
Fresno did try tho.
Fresno City Council minutes w/ failed resolution noted (must scroll down to p.5 (1st item).
Link to failed resolution
http://www.fresno.gov/CouncilDocs/agenda3.20.2007/11am1.pdf
“You are correct in that our officers do not try to determine a person’s legal status.”
Of course Fresno is a de facto sanctuary city. Everyone knows that! The farmers would go under if it weren’t so. This email makes me mad because it’s full of baloney.
Mayor Alan Autry is on the record that he is against the “sweeps” and that he will not cooperate with the feds.
I don’t know what the solution is but we’re never going to get anywhere if people play fast and loose with the truth.
You know, I’m gonna come right out and say it: The farmers around here LOVE illegal immigration. They eat, sleep and breathe ILLEGAL immigration. And IMO they hate illegals at the same time. Would you treat an American like that - make them work in the 100 degree plus temperatures all day long in stoop labor? Of course not but the farmers have been getting away with it for decades and decades.
And I’m sick of hearing that we need the illegals to do our dirty work for us. That is insulting to Mexicans - like that’s all they’re good for - like they don’t have a brain or any humanity worth protecting.
We need a guest worker program that treats people fairly and with dignity. And if people are willing to do “dirty work” they bloody well should be treated with dignity and paid a decent wage - not exploited like the farmers are doing.
We need a secure border, too, so the gov’t of Mexico will be forced to attend to their own citizens instead of encouraging them to flee over here and be abused and exploited.
This is really making me mad today.
Our Church worked in the vineyard today - we’re volunteers. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has 80 acres of grapes. Church members worked today and our Ward was responsible for picking, laying the grapes on the paper trays - for two rows - and it was in the hundreds. I kept thinking of the Mexican farm laborers, how they do this all the time just to scrape by and they are treated with contempt.
This illegal immigration issue is a disgusting mess and the farmers around here need to stop torturing us with their silly demonic rhetoric.
After we worked all morning in the heat, I was able to come home, take a shower, and rest. I am still recovering and will be sore tomorrow. Every year that I have worked thus, I would be sick for a few days. I feel very proud of my Church and all of my brothers and sisters.
That’s all I have to say.
Thats BS I have seen local law enforcement take their oath it curtails following the US constitution foriegn and domestic.
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