He said: I am not aware of any city that actually interferes with our ability to enforce the law. So lets not mix apples and oranges. The suggestion is that these cities interfere with the Department of Homeland Security and ICEs ability to go ahead and pursue someone to be deported. That is not the case. But that is the argument that is trying to be made in pursuit of an amendment that is all about immigration and nothing about security. We need to be about security in our communities. We need to be able to have witnesses come forward and be able to have victims come forward. Now. local governments have taken the initiative to reassure these communities in order to deliver services vital to the public health and safety. And these may be immigrant families who also. in fact. have perfect status in this country. But the message being sent out is: Dont talk to the local police. We have had incidents where people who. in fact. have total legal status. and who. because they came forward as witnesses to a crime. ended up feeling more like a criminal themselves than the person they were trying to testify against. That sends a chilling effect across immigrant communities which says: Do not participate. It would not be in the interest of security in our communities to have that be the message. If immigrant families are afraid to access the opportunities for local law enforcement to have their participation as the eyes and ears of what is happening. it would have a negative effect and be a ripple effect of what would happen. If that is the message. then if you are a perpetrator of a crime and you want to do breaking and entering. robbing in a community. God forbid you want to do rapes. you say: This community will not go to the police.
Keywords matched
immigrant deported immigration