Steve Quayle News Alerts

May 24, 2002
Rosendo Majano

WASHINGTON - Hispanic legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday asked U.S. President George W. Bush not to use police in matters involving undocumented immigrants and foreigners suspected of terrorism saying it is a "very dangerous idea."
The U.S. Justice Department is considering this initiative as a means of strengthening domestic security in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The 18 House Democrats of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), with the support of two Republican legislators who do not belong to this group, on Thursday warned of the risks of involving police in Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) business.
Florida's Cuban-American Republican congressmen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Lincoln Diaz-Balart, and some of their Democratic colleagues, left the CHC due to disagreements on the policy towards Cuba.
The Caucus also asked Congress to enact a law that would prohibit the INS from signing cooperation agreements with state and local police.
"We strongly disagree with this initiative," CHC chairman Silvestre Reyes (Dem.-TX), said during a press conference in which he emphasized the "high risks" of irregular police actions that could hurt immigrants.
Reyes, a former INS official, said that sheriffs and police chiefs with whom he has talked oppose Washington's intentions to have police act as immigration agents.
He said that such an activity could cause discrimination based on racial profiling and could also have adverse effects on legal residents and naturalized immigrants.
As far as Reyes is concerned, the best way to ensure that immigration laws are enforced is to use trained, qualified INS personnel.
"We need more and better-trained federal agents, and we need to give them the necessary tools to fulfill their responsibilities," he said.
Reyes urged Bush to support the Hispanic community and not to use the police to enforce immigration law, as the Justice Department has suggested.
Rep. Jose Serrano (Dem.-NY) told EFE that the Justice Department's plan "could lead to persecution and potential abuse based on racial profiling."
Serrano is concerned saying that if the police begin to participate on immigration matters, "it could be detrimental to the harmonious relationship that currently exists between police and the Latin American community."
"We must let the INS do its job," Serrano said, adding that Congress has already decided to restructure this institution, which is favorable to guaranteeing adequate funds to enable the INS to do its job more efficiently.
"Immigrant communities, especially the Hispanics, always view police differently than they do INS officials," Jose Serrano told EFE.
Grace Napolitano (Dem.-CA) agreed with her colleagues saying that the proposal to use police "has no merit," and could give rise to abuses, especially against Hispanic immigrants.
A survey conducted this past week by Bendixen & Associates reveals that 77 percent of the 800 people interviewed oppose the proposal of involving the police in INS matters.

http://www.thenewsmexico.com/noticia.asp?id=26364