Posted on 12/22/2008 11:23:52 AM PST by AJKauf
I witnessed a disaster in the desert while working for the Arizona Republic as a reporter and metro columnist. In July 1997, police officers in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, AZ, paired up with Border Patrol agents to round up illegal immigrants. The operation resulted in the apprehension and deportation of more than 400 illegal immigrants. But, the net ensnared anyone who looked Hispanic - i.e. , brown skin, Spanish accents. There was a state investigation into the roundup, and during that inquiry one Chandler police officer said that the tell-tale sign for him was a smell common to the undocumented. Scores of U.S.-born Hispanics including, ironically, some with Arizona roots going back several generations were harassed, detained, and asked to produce birth certificates or citizenship papers. This is not the sort of thing that should happen in a country that puts a premium on freedom.
My mentioned my dad. When it comes to law enforcement, hes a bit of snob. It runs in the family. He has seen gung-ho rookies come and go, and he thinks cops who want to opine on policing should follow a simple rule: If you havent put in 20 years, shut the hell up before you say something stupid!
I dont know how long Jack Dunphy has been in uniform. But, if I had to guess, Id say that his 20th anniversary is still ahead of him.
Update: A response from Jack Dunphy:
First of all, Mr. Navarette has erected and attacked a straw man...
(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...
Danger Danger Danger Will Robinson!
Ruben Navarrette is a brown supremacist. Enough said.
Ruben Navarrette is pretty famous for being an asshat in these parts.
Check ITS “in Forum”.
The round up he references did NOT involve Sheriff Joe.
The response from Jack Dunphy:
“First of all, Mr. Navarette has erected and attacked a straw man, for neither in the Pajamas Media column to which he responded nor in any of my National Review Online columns on the subject of illegal immigration (here, here, and here) have I advocated for the notion that local police officers should conduct the type of mass roundup he describes in his piece. Rather, I simply argue that once an illegal immigrant has, through some misdeed beyond unlawful entry into the country, found himself in the clutches of local police officers, it seems entirely reasonable that he should be deported upon completion of whatever sentence he might serve on the local charge. Had such a system been in place and consistently applied in Los Angeles last year, Pedro Espinoza would have been deported to Mexico upon completion of his county jail sentence. Instead, he was set free to roam the streets of Los Angeles where, the day after his release, he allegedly shot and killed Jamiel Shaw.
Second, either the United States is going to continue being a nation of laws or it isnt. Respect for the law is only diminished when local police officers are asked to ignore and even endorse violations of federal law for the sake of some arguable economic or political benefit.
Finally, Mr. Navarette seeks to buttress his argument by guessing wrongly that I am one of the gung-ho rookies so derided by his father, a retired police officer. I will grant that Im not as tenured as his father, who served for 37 years. I prefer to keep descriptions of my experience on the vague side so as to preserve the secrecy afforded by my pseudonym, but I can assure Mr. Navarette and his father that my twentieth anniversary as a cop is well behind me.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Once and for all, there is NO need for mass Gestapo-style roundups. Just guard the chokepoints: The courthouses, social services offices, schools, emergency rooms, DMV’s, etc. that illegal aliens have to pass through in order to live in these United States.
If you’re going to conduct raids, then raid the employers. Don’t bother arresting or deporting the illegals caught. Let them go and just fine the pants off the employers. Soon there will be no jobs for them.
Won’t require any black-shirted armies.
Some of my best friends are asshats, and they would not take very kindly to your remark.
Like I have long advocated “The first person to scream racism is undeniably the true racist”
Guess where Senor Navarrette falls?
I agree that cops should not act as immigration officers. Its not their job and not their expertise.
But when they have a suspect in hand who is pretty evidently illegal, there is nothing wrong with them notifying immigration.
One problem has been in the past that immigration would simply refuse to accept them. I have relatives in law enforcement who have done just that; they have a car-load of quite obviously illegals in custody on some charge. They call immigration to come and pick them up, and they would refuse. At some point they had no choice but to turn the people loose.
If you deal with people very much its not hard to tell the difference between someone hispanic, born and raised here, versus a Mexican national. And this is not just about Mexicans; there are people here illegally from every country on earth. If you’ve arrested someone for an offense, and he’s pretty obviously new to the country, there is nothing wrong or rude in asking him a question about his immigration status. And, if something rings false about the answer, making a call to immigration to let them follow up.
Even better, no need to even carry out “raids” on employers per se. Genteely announce workplace inspections well in advance, then just keep a lone agent at the front gate checking ID’s for the next three months or so. Forcing said employers to hire a legit workforce at legit wages.
Problem solved with a minimum of fuss and muss (and manpower!).
“Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union Tribune, a nationally syndicated columnist, a frequent lecturer, and a regular contributor to CNN.com.”
My apologies to your friends...I’m a bit of an asshat myself...
;^)
Oh, he’s famous nationwide, don’t kid yourself.
This guy is an idiot.
I get snared when the police does traffic stops for alcohol, of which I seldom consume.
I am handled the same way at the airport when heading through security.
If a perpetrator was a white guy looking someone like me, then I could be brought in as a possible suspect.
What’s wrong with this?
ping
But I’m sure redlight cameras are A-OK.

Put these along our border. No raids required.
All have reasonable and sensible laws to prevent non-nationals from living or working in the country without permission.
Want to work there? Your employer or sponsor needs to prove they can't hire a local to do the job. Some (Japan) will also require that you be paid a premium (at least 10%) over the prevailing wage because they rightfully consider that if you don't produce enough to earn that premium, the employer can probably find a local.
Want a driver's license? They will want to see a valid passport and visa before they even give you the application.
Want to enroll your kids in school. Ditto.
Do a crime? Depending on the severity, you will most certainly be deported and barred from reentry. Remember the Beatle who got caught in Japan with just a little pot in his luggage? Standard stuff.
Want your visa renewed? They will often want to see a tax receipt to prove you are earning your keep.
Just about every country in the world works under the principle that people who want to live there should be assets to the country and not liabilities. Why don't we?
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