Posted on 07/06/2005 1:11:51 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
The Houston Police Department has instructed officers not to photograph illegal immigrants seeking day jobs, after an incident last month prompted an outcry from an immigrant rights group.
Houston police Capt. Juan Trevino made the pledge to 400 people who attended a meeting Tuesday night organized by The Metropolitan Organization, an interfaith grass-roots political action group.
Trevino said that "an isolated handful of officers" took immigrants' photographs after a business owner on North Shepherd recently complained that they "were walking on private property."
Addressing the TMO gathering in Spanish and English, Trevino said that the Houston police department will work with the organization to encourage immigrant workers to seek work at the east side day labor center.
"We have initiated a policy where, at this time, we are instructing all officers that they cannot photograph any of the day laborers that are currently out in the field," Trevino said.
After the meeting at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Trevino said the photographs of immigrants involved "an isolated handful of officers — it was maybe only one or two."
"But currently the department has given directions down through the captains to instruct all officers to cease that practice until our legal services investigation ... until that matter has been clarified," Trevino said.
The police officers who took the photographs were trying to persuade the immigrants not to stand on private property while waiting for day jobs, Trevino said.
"It really was an attempt to remind them the next day that 'Hey, you were here because here's the picture.' That was just one officer's way of doing things," Trevino said.
Broderick Bagert, an organizer for the TMO, said the community organization welcomed Trevino's comments.
"It had been an issue of real concern because people from the churches in the East End have worked for more than a year and half to win funding for the worker-development center in the East End," Bagert said. "We've been working to staff that, to organize it, and we've really invested in that strategy to deal with day laborers. The second work site has just gotten started in the last few months."
Even though the incident occurred on Houston's north side, Bagert said, there was concern "that the police were going to be intimidating workers. It was seen as a real step back. So we were very concerned about it," Bagert said.
Officers of the law being told not to enforce the law. What a country.
Quote: The above map shows illegal aliens apprehended in southwest U.S. Border Patrol sector from January to March, 2004, as compared with the same period in 2003. A 51% increase occurred along the east and central Arizona border, coupled with a 60% increase along the southwestern Arizona border and a 38% increase in San Diego.
What...no cash restitution? My sympathy to the men of the HPD.
Whoever drew the map knows little about the locations of McAllen and Laredo, Texas.
Or Tucson.
Bush yesterday criticized people who expressed their concerns regarding Alberto Gonzales as a Supreme Court nominee.
This is ominous.
The fact that he and Bush are friends has absolutely nothing to do with his qualifications for office.
I guess Bush isn't getting the message and this illegal invader problem which the leftist press continues to falsely label an "immigrant" problem is essentially a Federal issue.
The Federal Government has the authority and power to stop it, and to bring pressure to bear on local jurisdictions which ignore Federal laws on illegal invaders by withholding Federal aid funds.
Gonzales is clearly a proponent of this program as he has refused to effectively utilize the power of his position of attorney general to take steps to stop this situation.
He must never be appointed to the Federal Bench.
As Bush appears deaf to complaints about Gonzales, we must bombard ALL our Federal reps with letters opposing Gonzales to the Federal Bench. When writing Repubs, identify yourself as a Republican. When writing Dems, do not mention any political affiliation, or describe yourself as an "independent".
after an incident last month prompted an outcry from an immigrant rights group.
They mean illegal immigrant rights group. Illegals have rights too. The right to a swift and humane deportation with the possibility of future legal immigration forfeited.
What I heard was President Bush defending a friend, not a Supreme Court nominee.
And the criticisms levelled against Gonzales were as a Supreme Court nominee, not as a human being or friend.
Bush had better get the message.
If Jeb Bush has any aspirations for the Presidency, a miscalcualtion by his brother on this sensitive issue will kill it.
And a clear message to our elected representatives about who we want or don't want in the SCOTUS is a Constitutional right.
Let's see who he nominates before you decide to string anyone up.
He may have more than one SC Justice slot to fill.
Time will tell.
But I don't care if Bush has nine vacanies to fill - none of them are suitable for Mr. Gonzales in my opinion and I have every right to tell Bush so, and my representatives.
Presidents shouldn't be appointing people to positions on Federal Bench based on personal friendship.
And I'm not "stringing up" anybody. Reports of Mr. Gonzales' position on a whole host of issues are numerous and unsettling, and his handling of border collapse as Attorney General is appalling.
Too bad Bush doesn't protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America with the same zeal.
I wasn't talking about "stringing up" "Attorney General Gonzales.
I was talking about this rush to bash Bush.
I'm not "Bashing Bush".
I voted for him twice and campaigned for him.
But he's the President, not an Emperor, and subject to criticism when he is wrong and prise when he's right.
His handling of the border situation goes beyond gross incompetence. His continual pandering to Vicente Fox is nauseating. And his failure to more vigorously explain to the unwashed masses again and again the very valid reasons which justify our presence in the Middle East is inexplicable.
I hope he uses the recess appointment to get Bolton into the U.N. and does something to muzzle those renagade Judases inhis own party like McCain.
Thread got HIJACKED!
Cops taking pictures of potential law-breakers has been routine everywhere for 50 years. Not only is it a deterrent to those photoed to cause problems, it gives the cops a photo to show a witness in case someone does act up.
The cops apologized (?) and won't do it anymore! I never did glean from the article what the actual bitch to the cops was. Intimidation? Whatever, it's PC BS.
Specifics please.
Amazing, isn't it? We're subject to cameras and face ID but illegal immigrants must be sheltered! Outrageous!
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