Felons found in police immigration screening[CA]

The Orange County Register ^ | 17 Dec 2007 | TONY SAAVEDRA and NORBERTO SANTANA Jr.

[BGHater]

Two OC police agencies have become national leaders in deporting illegal immigrants. Petty offenders are swept up in the net.

Social tolerance was once the hallmark of Costa Mesa, a place where bowls of free soup awaited the poor just as racks of designer shoes awaited the well-heeled.

The home of South Coast Plaza was also home to a city Human Relations Committee, a job center and a decades-long history of helping the poor, whether immigrant or native-born. The late county Supervisor Tom Riley dubbed Costa Mesa "the city with a heart."

The soup kitchen is still there. But the Human Relations Committee and the job center are gone, jettisoned by Mayor Allan Mansoor and his allies on the council after being too sympathetic to illegal immigrants.

The city's new legacy is its aggressive stance against illegal immigration, including the use of city police to identify undocumented immigrants among crime suspects.

Costa Mesa is not the first local agency to partner with immigration agents. Police in Florida and Alabama have been doing so since 2003. In California, jail-check programs vary from checking the status of convicted felons – that's what Los Angeles County does – to checking everyone in the jail – that's what Orange County started doing just one month after Costa Mesa.

Costa Mesa's program has brought more controversy than others because city police check not only jail inmates, but minor offenders on the street – like jaywalkers and disorderly drinkers – who are not able to provide identification.

[BGHater]

[VR-21]

"It's fracturing the community," said Jean Forbath, a social activist who founded the Costa Mesa charity Share Our Selves. "The future of Costa Mesa and Orange County and all America is to accept each other. This program does not create communities."

I want to wretch when I hear left-wing activists braying about fractured communities.

[sionnsar]

just as racks of designer shoes awaited the well-heeled.

Oof!

[mtbopfuyn]

"The future of Costa Mesa and Orange County and all America is to accept each other.

Let's all hug and sing Kumbayah. The other day one of the students decided to rant about how everyone hates Mexicans. The rest of the class of middle schoolers immediately came back with, "it's not Mexicans, it's illegals" (smart kids!). She continued to whine that with Texas next to Mexico that borders were sooo unfair. I asked her if she had locks on her front door. Of course she said yes, to which I replied that she's being sooo unfair. She finally ended that borders were ok as long as they kept out Canadians...

[RonF]

This program does not create communities.

VR-21, the next time someone says something like that to you, don't try to respond. Instead, ask them, "What the HELL does that mean?" Generally it's so damn vague that they won't be able to coherently explain it, or they'll use some other meaningless phrase that you can then say "And what the hell does THAT mean?" People listening get embarrassed to realize they've been nodding in agreement to something that they can't define either, and you start reaching people's thinking.

[gubamyster]

ping

[sdillard]

I have no desire whatsoever to be “accepting” to invaders and criminals. Sadly, I live in the Bay Area, where every city wears a “Kick Me” sign.

[pogo101]

Felons found in police immigration screening[CA]

I'm shocked! Shocked!