Posted on 10/31/2007 5:27:03 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
The following is an article on the subject.
Illegal immigration law to take effect
By Jaclyn Houghton CNHI
OKLAHOMA CITY — Phil Cotten doesn’t plan to change how the Norman Police Department operates in spite of a new immigration law that may take effect Thursday.
The Norman police chief said officers will contact federal immigration authorities if they arrest someone on a criminal charge or suspect someone on a criminal charge who may not be in the United States legally. He said anything beyond that takes more resources and may instill fear in people reporting crimes.
“We have to treat everyone the same,” Cotten said. “Another fear is that this is almost legalizing racial profiling.”
He said there are a lot of international students at the University of Oklahoma and he does not want officers to go out and ask people to prove they are Americans.
House Bill 1804, which was signed by the governor in May, would, among other things, require public employers to verify the residency status of new employees; would require local and state law enforcement agencies or county jails to verify legal status; would require anyone seeking state identification to prove residency or citizenship; and would terminate government subsidies like health care and welfare for illegal immigrants except in certain emergency and humanitarian public services.
A federal judge in Tulsa on Wednesday took the request to block the enforcement of the new law under advisement and did not indicate when he would rule on the issue, according to the Associated Press. Latino groups brought the request to the judge after a failed first attempt to stop the law. They were seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the implementation of the law until a lawsuit on the issue is resolved.
If the law takes effect Thursday, it will be a felony to knowingly conceal, harbor, shelter, transport or attempt to transport an illegal immigrant. An exception will allow the transportation or harboring of illegal immigrants if associated with public benefits allowed by federal law or public health services provided by private funds through a private charity.
The author of the bill, Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, said the law will empower local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law and detain illegal immigrants. The law instructs the attorney general to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding between the state and federal governments in enforcing federal immigration laws. He said this may also require local law enforcement to participate in a training program to become certified in federal immigration enforcement.
The Enid Police Department doesn’t plan to send officers to a federal training program. Enid Police Capt. Dean Grassino said the course is tuition-free, but takes several weeks and would require the department to pay the officer while at the training and for travel expenses.
“We’re shorthanded,” he said, noting that “there’s no way to spare officers” to do federal work.
Cotten also doesn’t plan to get officers cross-trained in immigration enforcement.
“We’ve got lots of other stuff to do,” he said. “We’re swamped with things.”
He said he is waiting on the attorney general to issue opinions on what local officers will be required to do under the law.
There were 24 questions given to Attorney General Drew Edmondson regarding the law. He is in the process of writing opinions on some of the questions, those of which aren’t being addressed in the lawsuit on the measure, according to Charlie Price, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.
Terrill said he hopes to come back next legislative session, which begins in February, to give monetary incentives for law enforcement to become cross-trained. He also wants to make English the official language in the state and wants seized and forfeited assets from illegal immigrants to go to local law enforcement agencies.
Many have fled Tulsa due to this.
A Federal Court with NADS???? Welcome to a strange new world.
If they’re in the country illegally, they’re ALREADY criminals. Distinguishing between ‘criminal’ illegals and the rest, is nothing but OBL spin meant first, for determining who is here and then, resulting in some kind of amnesty for all but those deemed ‘criminals’.
I don't like that...seems to open the door for commies like that traitorous bastard "Cardinal" out in L.A. to bring in illegals and shield them from the law.
Lazy schmuck. These cops don't want to deal with crying Mexican anchor baby factories shouting "Pero los Ninos!" at them. They just want to eat their donuts in peace, and focus on parking ticket quotas.
When they head south is there anyway you could get them to take these weak kneed police chiefs with them.
Does this only apply under Oklahoma jurisdiction? Local, state, federal...etc...?
Ooooooooook lahoma where illegal aliens dont roam
Oklahoma OK....
:)
Ping
I think you’re right. “Cardinal” (in name only) Mahony (aka Baloney Mahony) would do just that; everytime he opens his mouth, he’s all boo-hooey about our illegal “brothers and sisters”. He doesn’t give a hoot about the laws of this country, he’s a disgrace to the collar he wears.
ping
And a police chief without.
Police chiefs get fired all the time.
Bttt!
The reporter's really going to be shocked to discover that's already illegal under federal.
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