Jon E. Dougherty, NewsMax.com
Wednesday Dec. 24, 2003

The National Council of La Raza, one of the groups involved in the suit, alleged last week Justice illegally entered information pertaining to civil immigration violations in the National Crime Information Center, a database accessed millions of times a day by state and local authorities.

Local cops use the database to access information about everyone from criminal suspects to traffic violators. But the advocacy groups allege the post-Sept. 11 initiative encourages local police "to make immigration arrests" which "undermines public safety and encourages racial profiling," according to Raul Yzaguirre, president of the National Council of La Raza.

Besides Yzaguirre's organization, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Latin American Workers Project, UNITE and the New York Immigration Coalition are also involved in the suit.

Localities have often refused to help federal officials enforce immigration laws. Cities have complained to Washington use of their officers to enforce federal immigration statutes makes it harder to gain cooperation from immigrant communities in solving other crimes.

Other cities have passed ordinance forbidding their officers from assisting federal officials in enforcing national immigration laws, effectively becoming "sanctuaries" for large illegal alien communities.

Nevertheless, GOP members of the House introduced a bill in November called the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal [CLEAR] Act, which contains provisions making it easier for local police to help federal authorities enforce immigration laws. Also, the Justice Department is currently training Florida police officers in a pilot program in immigration law enforcement procedures.

The effort to boost local support for federal immigration law enforcement has been in the works since the Clinton administration. In 1996 President Clinton signed a bill which "established the framework for more comprehensive cooperation between federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement," according to an analysis by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group advocating less overall immigration and enforcement of current immigration laws.

But, FAIR says, the provisions outlined in the legislation were never implemented. The group suggested had they been, the 9-11 hijackers could have been captured prior to their assault on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Despite the attacks, however, "many local communities are reluctant to routinely engage their local law enforcement in apprehending immigration violators they encounter in the normal course of their duties," FAIR says.

In supporting the new CLEAR legislation, FAIR says local police would not be transformed into immigration cops. Also, the group says, the bill provides funding to local departments for the express purpose of detaining illegal aliens when discovered.

Still, the advocates claim local law enforcement involvement in enforcing federal immigration laws would be counterproductive.

"Some of our members have been the victims of crime, including violent crimes like assault, but now they are afraid to interact with the police for fear that they may be deported," says Oscar Paredes of the Latin American Workers Project. "Who can blame them? [U.S. Attorney General John] Ashcroft's new policy encourages every local cop on the beat to make immigration arrests."

Bruce Raynor, President of UNITE, said the initiative is "another example of how the Bush administration is out of touch with the reality of ordinary people's lives."

"Hard-working but vulnerable immigrant workers and their families are intimidated by any contact with local law enforcement authorities," Raynor said.

Editor's note:
"CATASTROPHE" Reveals Bill Clinton’s Role in 9/11 - Click Here to find out more

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