Aliens among us? Don’t ask, don’t tell
Cities say immigration enforcement
not business of local police officers
By Chelsea Schilling
2006 WorldNetDaily.com
In the blistering deserts along the U.S.-Mexico border, clusters of weary undocumented travelers climb through destroyed wire fence atop sand dunes.
The sight is so common that passersby – even on the U.S. side – rarely notice anymore.
But some big-city police departments have taken a similar “blind-eye” approach to immigration law enforcement – literally forcing officers to look the other way as well.
Local law enforcement agencies, such as the Los Angeles Police Department and the Houston Police Department, prohibit officers from inquiring about citizenship status and reject policies and plans that would expand their role in federal immigration law enforcement.
A common belief among proponents of the sanctuary policies implemented by some big cities is that illegal immigration, if a concern at all, is solely a federal issue.
Back in 1979, the LAPD adopted a mandate by the L.A. City Council to prevent police from inquiring about the immigration status of arrestees. The internal policy, “Special Order 40,” is clear, concise and to the point. It states: “Officers shall not initiate police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person. Officers shall not arrest nor book persons for violation of title 8, section 1325 of the United States Immigration code (Illegal Entry).”
LAPD Assistant Chief George Gascon said in a statement faxed to WND that Special Order 40 “prohibits our officers from inquiring into a person’s immigration status, or working with federal authorities to enforce immigration matters when no other crime is present.” “Our officers understand that they should arrest and report to federal authorities individuals suspected of having been previously convicted of serious offenses, who were deported and are now back preying on our communities,” Gascon said.
Judicial Watch, a public-interest group sworn to fight government corruption, is in litigation opposing LAPD’s use of taxpayer funds to enforce and maintain Special Order 40, which the organization claims “violates both federal immigration laws and California law and puts American citizens at risk.”
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