Speech #1140056128

Chicago received $72.477.673 in CDBG funding. and $3.125.000 in funding through the COPS Hiring Program to address gun violence. The Fraternal Order of Police sent a letter opposing the Vitter billwhich is before the Senateon behalf of its 330.000 police members who belong to that fraternity. This is what it said: "It is wrong and a gross unfairness to punish these brave men and women. or the citizens they serve. because Congress disagrees with their enforcement priorities with respect to our nations immigration laws." This bill is supposedly an effort to punish socalled sanctuary citiesincluding some in my own home Statethat have policies limiting dealings between Federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement. but the goal of these policies is to promote effective community policing by encouraging immigrant communities to trust local police. Many of these policies were established in response to Secure Communities. a program created by the Bush administration and a program which badly damaged the relationship between immigrant communities and local law enforcement around the country. My State police signed a memorandum of agreement with immigration authorities to participate in Secure Communities. The agreement said the goal of the program was to "identify. detain. and remove from the United States aliens who have been convicted of serious criminal offenses." However. it turned out more than 30 percent of those deported from Illinois in the program had no criminal record. Less than 20 percent had been convicted of a serious crime. Illinois law enforcement officials say the program eroded trust in law enforcement in the Hispanic community. Their conclusion is backed up by polling data. A 2013 University of Illinois study found that 44 percent of Latinos report being less likely to contact the police if they are a victim of crime out of fear that police will inquire about their immigration status or people they know. The Vitter bill makes this problem even worse by forcing local law enforcement to become enforcers of immigration laws. I received a letter opposing the Vitter bill from the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force. a group of more than 30 law enforcement officials. including Republican Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran. a local law enforcement official from my home State whom I have worked with in the past. These officials are very concerned that this bill will make our communities less safe by discouraging immigrants from cooperating with law enforcement. This is what the local law enforcement in Illinois said: When state and local law enforcement agencies are required to enforce federal immigration laws. undocumented residents may fear that they. or people they know or depend upon. risk deportation by working with law enforcement. This fear undermines trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve. creating too much room for dangerous criminals and violent crime. The Vitter bill also dramatically increases penalties for illegal entry. including two new mandatory minimum criminal sentences.