Posted on 08/16/2007 7:35:12 AM PDT by greyfoxx39
A Republican-led campaign is sending autodialed phone messages to thousands of voters, asking them to complain to the mayor that Albuquerque police are too lenient with undocumented immigrants.
"Under Marty Chávez's leadership, the Albuquerque Police Department will no longer report criminal illegal aliens to immigration officials," the message says. "The police have been ordered to turn a blind eye to criminal illegal aliens. Even violent felons ..."
But Chávez and Albuquerque Police Department Chief Ray Schultz say that's flat-out wrong.
"Anyone (who is) under arrest or is under investigation can be reported to INS," Schultz said.
However, he said police "routinely do not" report to the INS. "It's important that a person be prosecuted for the crime committed ... You just don't want the person deported across the border and in some cases (he) can be back in days."
An investigation can be hindered if suspects are deported, he added.
The city recently agreed to reinforce an existing policy that since 2000 has prohibited local police from enforcing federal immigration laws.
The policy now emphasizes that students are not to be questioned on school grounds, and makes clear the Mexican Co
nsular identification cards are valid forms of ID. The new procedures were announced Tuesday— and the telephone campaign began.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
CYA time for city officials. Help from the Journal.
Side note: Editorial choice to assign this story to a person with the name Dominguez is noteworthy.
If you want on or off the NM Ping list, please FReepmail me.
And KRQE News 13 says that under the new policy, effective as of Aug. 6, police will be prohibiting from even asking about the immigration status of people they arrest. "Officers shall not inquire about or seek proof of a person's immigration status ... officers shall not call federal immigration officers to the scene ... of an investigation except in the case of suspected human trafficking," the policy states in part, according to KRQE.
There is some wiggle rom in this statement but not much.
Had to turn it off...
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