Austin Police WON'T Arrest People Only For Immigration Status (would hurt trusting relationship..)

KEYE Texas ^

[chance33_98]

Austin Police Won't Arrest People Only For Immigration Status


The U.S. Justice Department, which controls the Immigration and Naturalization Service, says it can't handle the 7 million immigrants currently in the U.S. Therefore, it is considering a proposal to allow local police to do their job for them. Nearly 8 months ago, 19 hijackers slipped through America’s immigration security net committing the most devastating terrorist attacks on American soil. Now, controlling immigration in America has become drastically more important. Austin police say adding immigration duties would undo the trusting relationship local police have built with immigrants. Police say illegal immigrants often do not report crime, for fear they will be deported. Austin Police Assistant Chief Rudy Landeros says, "Our officers will not, and let me stress this because it is very important, our officers will not stop, detain, or arrest anybody solely based on their immigration status. Period." Austin police say however, they will continue to cooperate with federal agents who have criminal warrants for illegal immigrants.

[texlok]

Just a quick question. If the police were allowed/forced to stop anybody and everybody constantly to ask for their papers, do you think the government would ever give us back our rights/freedoms? After all the illegals are long gone (or legalized, lol) do you think the government would give that chunk of the Constitution back to us.

[texlok]

Again, to quote Thomas Jefferson, Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.

WE WILL LOSE THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY AT SOME POINT IF THIS CONTINUES AT THIS RATE

We will lose this country long before any illegal immigrants, due to the politicians in Washington who think it's alright to chip away at the Constitution here and there.

One of the things that makes up the USA, is the Constitution. It sets us apart from other countries. Once that's gone, then this country is gone.

People like you and usadave, are more of a threat to this country, through your incredible ability to think giving up a little freedom will make us more secure, and that someday the government will say "okay, they are gone, here's your freedom back". Your blind trust that the government knows best, scares me.

I ask you to think for yourselves. Look at the fact, that on the national scene, it's the democrats who wanted roadblacks and national IDs. Senator Feinstein wanted the National Guard, not jusre in the airports, but out on bridges and highways. Think about it, why would they want that? Oh yeah, they are statists.

[4Freedom]

What Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms do you believe you're giving up, if the authorities are allowed to ask you to prove your U.S. citizenship, periodically?

I see you like to quote Jefferson. Do you, honestly, believe Jefferson would be for massive, uncontrolled, unregulated legal and ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, when we're a nation of almost 300 million, already?

Do you believe that any of the Founding Fathers would approve of the presence of 13 million illegal aliens in our country?

Would they approve of absurd immigration policies that are recklessly driving us (over-the-cliff) towards doubling our population in less than 50 years?

Try discussing the specific consequences of our inaction as opposed to rambling generalizations.

[Joe Hadenuf]

ITS MY OPINION THAT THE POLICE NEED TO QUIT GOING AFTER AMERICANS FOR PETTY BULL SH*T AND GO AFTER THE MILLIONS OF CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS.

Please, don't give me the police are spread to thin argument. You even said yourself, that San Antonio PD is becoming more militarized!!!

Well sh*t, if they aint going after illegal aliens, I guess the militarized San Antonio Police Department directed at the American citizens!!!! You stated this yourself ! WTF!

[Jennikins]

The point is that if you're a citizen, it's no holds barred: they'll arrest for anything they can think of. But if you're an alien, you're part of a group that has more rights than citizens, a group which is now free to violate a laundry list of laws, like falsification of federal forms and documents, non-payment of taxes, etc.

Absolutely! More and more it seems they are the "anointed" ones and we are the peons. Try and get into the universities here (CA) if you are white. Forget it. If they are involved in traffic accidents, most do not have registration, licenses or insurance. However, that it allowed for them. For us? Penalties and fines.

This is no longer a country of laws. One law is for us and another for them.

[Regulator]

The biggest laugh I had on this point was the tearful, emotionally overwrought temper tantrum that Mayor Rocky Anderson of Salt Lake City had after Operation Tarmac had come through and arrested 60 illegals at SLC airport . They were all arrested for falsifying their SIDA clearance forms, along with 5 citizens who didn't disclose prior convictions.

Anderson said that the illegals shouldn't be prosecuted because they "didn't know better" but that the citizens should be mercilessly gone after, because "they knew what they did was wrong"!

In other words, crime's OK because you're just a helpless lil' ol' Illegal Alien, unable to comprehend any sort of advanced concept like "right" or "wrong".

My cats understand right and wrong. But the liberals, spewing tears in mass quantities, don't attribute any such knowledge to the citizens of other countries.

[Bob J]

But they'll throw you in the pokey for having a parking ticket.

Question - Is local law enforcement required to arrest someone if they are observed committing a FEDERAL crime?

[WRhine]

Thanks Joe for telling it like it is.

[WRhine]

That is what these chiefs are now asserting: that they will enforce the laws only against those who agree to them. As for foreign nationals who have contempt for the laws? That's cool. No problem. Us chiefs are only here to keep the gringos in line.

Well Said Regulator. BTTT.

[Joe Hadenuf]

But they'll throw you in the pokey for having a parking ticket.

You bet, fail to pay a parking ticket infraction, or be a few days late and Americans go to jail, while the police turn their backs and wink at the millions upon millions of illegal aliens that have craped on our sovereignty, spit on our laws, while choking off our social services as they reproduce as fast as possible.

If this immigration disaster continues, we will lose our country. No question.

[usadave]

You seem like an intelligent person. What has made you buy into the rhetoric coming out of DC, that the Constitution/Bill of Rights can just be set aside for a while and then when everything is better, it'll come back?

Just a quick question. If the police were allowed/forced to stop anybody and everybody constantly to ask for their papers, do you think the government would ever give us back our rights/freedoms? After all the illegals are long gone (or legalized, lol) do you think the government would give that chunk of the Constitution back to us.

You have brought up some very valid concerns. One thing that always stands out when I read about our founding fathers and how they went about drafting the Bill of Rights and the Constitution is that there was much debate over what would and would not be included in the final version. Debate raged over suggested text, paragraghs were written and rewritten, and sentances, phrases, and even single words were weighed for their intrinsic meaning. Even though our founding fathers didn't agree on everything that was to be included in the Constitution, they were still able to come to an agreement on a final version of it.

The reason that I enjoy reading and posting on Free Republic is because of the fact that we don't all agree on everything. Just think how boring that would be! Yes, we may all agree in general that illegal immigration is a serious problem and that something needs to be done about it, but we don't all agree on how to go about solving this problem. I believe in looking at a problem from every conceivable angle and considering all possible options no matter how radical or unorthodox they may be. Sometimes instead of a single idea being best, a combination of two or more ideas produces the best result. The most important thing is to keep the dialogue going, keep expressing our opinions, keep suggesting new ideas and possible solutions, keep debating the issues, and hopefully, in the end, figure out how to solve the problem of illegal immigration. I'm certainly open to any ideas, suggestions, and comments that anyone may have on this topic.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Thanks, It's really nice to know that there are at least a few others that are able to see whats happening, and not let their political party get in the way.

[texlok]

Please, don't give me the police are spread to thin argument. You even said yourself, that San Antonio PD is becoming more militarized!!!

I never said anything about the San Antonio PD, I have no idea where you got that from. I was talking about Austin, and that the PD claims they need a few hundred more cops.

Anyways, like I said, how can you go after all illegal immigrants without turning this nation into a police state, without having the cops turn into the INS, without having them setup roadblocks everywhere. We are well on our way to a police state, and Bush and Co. have given the liberals enough tools to really put us on down the road to a police state. Another liberal administration or two, and sites like FR will not be allowed to exist, for preaching against government control and talking about things like the Constitution.

You can blast me all you want, but I have presented very very valid points about why we can't turn our local PDs into extensions of federal law enforcement agencies. It's called the Constitution, and that document, the heart of this nation, means a lot to me. I want to see illegal immigrants gone, but it's the price we pay for a free and open nation. I will gladly tolerate their presence, as I have done for almost forty years, as the price for being able to go anywhere I want, without being questioned about where I'm going, whom I'm meeting, what I'm carrying, and justifying my actions to some government clerk.

Until you can present a serious argument about how to get rid of illegal aliens without taking away our freedoms and privacy and turning us into a police state, your arguments will fall on deaf ears. You will not find an audience on FR for your views if you want to turn us into a police state and have the cops stop everybody everyday, asking for their papers. Well, a year ago you wouldn't. You might now.

[Jennikins]

Anderson said that the illegals shouldn't be prosecuted because they "didn't know better" but that the citizens should be mercilessly gone after, because "they knew what they did was wrong"!

The illegals know darn well what they are doing is wrong, but they choose to ignore it, knowing full well all will be forgiven. I've seen it so many times here in the LA area, that it is accepted without a second thought. The media will not identify them as an an illegal, but instead describe a suspected criminal, as a man wearing a white t-shirt, and blue jeans.

[SUSSA]

Any citizen of Austin can file a writ of mandamus. It shouldn't be the feds who do it. A lawyer should be able to write one and file it for about $200.

[SUSSA]

"Until you can present a serious argument about how to get rid of illegal aliens without taking away our freedoms and privacy and turning us into a police state, your arguments will fall on deaf ears."

It is very easy to get rid of them using no new laws and being no more intrusive than the government is now. Citizens have to present a birth certificate and proof of residency to put their kids in government schools. Criminal aliens don't. Enforce the law and when a criminal alien brings his kid for the "free" education arrest them both and deport them.

When they catch an employer working criminal aliens use the RICO laws to confiscate the business and anything the owner bought with his illegal profits. If it is a homeowner employing a criminal alien to do yard work or house work, take their house under RICO.

They should start the program by confiscating Tyson Foods. Under RICO they don't have to prove anything the company has to prove they are not guilty. Take down Tyson Foods and maybe confiscate a few homes and nobody would be willing to hire the criminals.

Demand proof of citizenship for any welfare or taxpayer funded service and that will get the rest.

No new laws no stopping people to check their papers. Just verification of employment records and positive ID for welfare and the problem is solved. It wouldn't even take an act of Congress. The laws are already on the books.

[texlok]

I agree with a lot of what you said (and you presented the most valid argument/way of enforcing existing laws without turning us into a police state), but I found a problem :

If it is a homeowner employing a criminal alien to do yard work or house work, take their house under RICO

That wipes out a lot of political appointee nominees right there. Oh wait, would that be a bad thing? ;-)

[SUSSA]

That wipes out a lot of political appointee nominees right there. Oh wait, would that be a bad thing? ;-)

Good point. That might be the best reason of all to do it. :)