Immigration Memorandums In Hand (Arkansas town joins illegal immigration fight)

THE MORNING NEWS ^ | John Henley Jr.

[pulaskibush]

ROGERS, Arkansas -- The city will not become a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants, pledged Mayor Steve Womack during a Wednesday news conference to announce the receipt of a "long-awaited and much-anticipated" agreement from federal officials. Rogers officials received on Tuesday a signed memorandum of agreement from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) program. The memorandum empowers six Rogers police officers who received 287(g) training earlier this month to perform immigration enforcement functions.

Three other Northwest Arkansas law enforcement agencies received signed memorandums on Tuesday: Springdale Police Department, and the Benton and Washington counties' sheriff's offices. The four agencies involved are part of a 287(g) regional task force model, which is different from the standard field model or detention model. Rogers Police initially applied to be a field model program, while the other agencies all applied to be detention models. The task force model was a byproduct of displacement fears, Womack said, adding although Rogers would participate in the regional task force, the memorandum was specific to Rogers and the task force would not get in the way of Rogers police from enforcing immigration law.Womack addressed fears the 287(g) authority would be used to racially profile and has previously said any officer found to be abusing the 287(g) authority would be fired.

Steve Helms, Rogers Police chief, also tried to allay fears of racial profiling by officers. You will not see units on the street going from door to door, business to business, Helms said. However, not everyone was satisfied with those assurances. "It is a very sad thing they approved the 287(g) in Rogers because it is going to allow the police to racially profile the Hispanic community," Hilda Gomez, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens' local council."We are open to take any complaints and will be in contact with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, our attorney, and we will be reporting any incident to MALDEF," Gomez said. A class-action federal lawsuit was filed in 2001 by the legal fund on behalf of Hispanics who felt they were contacted by Rogers police officers based on their ethnicity. The two sides reached a settlement agreement to end the lawsuit in 2003.

As part of the settlement, the city did not admit wrongdoing and agreed to take steps to ensure the fair treatment of Hispanics, and the legal fund agreed to drop all claims for monetary damages. "We feel that this could potentially violate the spirit of the settlement agreement," said Elise Short, the legal fund's regional counsel with in the Atlanta office.

This type of agreement -- 287(g) -- divides and discourages the community from reporting crimes because it creates feelings of hostility between the community and local law enforcement officials, whose function is to protect and serve, Short said. City Attorney Ben Lipscomb has maintained Rogers' participation in the program does not violate the agreement.Lipscomb pointed out his office's efforts to be as open and honest as possible with the public and media, even though such efforts have put him at loggerheads with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Lipscomb said that level of transparency will continue.

Helms said the police department has a complaint line that anyone can call anonymously. All complaints regarding 287(g) operations will be forwarded for review to Immigration officials for review, according to the memorandum. Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder and County Judge Jerry Hunton signed the Washington County Sheriff's Office memorandum of agreement on Wednesday. The four Washington County deputies participating in the 287 (g) program will begin enforcing immigration laws immediately, said Chief Deputy Jay Cantrell.

Benton County Sheriff Keith Ferguson said he was in receipt of the memorandum for his agency and was reviewing it. Ferguson said he expected to sign the agreement after review. Springdale Police Chief Kathy O'Kelley acknowledged receipt of the memorandum, but would not comment further. A copy released to The Morning News by the officials with the Springdale department, showed O'Kelley and Springdale Mayor Jerry Van Hoose signed the agreement.

The Morning News' Pablo Bello and Christopher Spencer contributed to this report.

[pulaskibush]

It's always nice to hear some good news about illegal immigration. It's interesting that LULAC claims the Rogers Police are racist being held back by not being able to enforce immigration law. Also, notice the claim that the "hispanic community" won't call the cops unless they're not allowed to enforce immigration law.

[pulaskibush]

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[pulaskibush]

Illegal immigration Ping list

[seemoAR]

I wish the little town of Hopeless,AR would wake up. It is starting to have a certain south of the border appearance.

[TexasRedeye]

HMMM, I guess I just don’t understand the argument here.

My understanding - as described by the Irving, Texas mayor -

Only criminals who are carted off to jail for offenses other than immigration violation will have their immigration status determined by jail authorities. If they are illegal, they will be turned over to ICE (after the local offense is handled). Those doing the reporting DO NOT have their status investigated. So, if victims/witnesses of crimes do not want to report such crimes/criminals, they simply live with them (just like they do in most southern American countries). It’s their chosen community and their choice.

[txdoda]

HMMM, I guess I just don’t understand the argument here.

Same point I made !!!

All these *protesters* are upset because illegal CRIMINALS are being deported from our JAILS (for OTHER than imm. crimes)

No hispanic's I know want MORE criminals in their neighborhoods.

( a side note.....I saw on Dallas news last night where court translators (paid 25 bucks a hour) are now seeking a raise to 50 bucks per hour....but hey our RECALLED lettuce is still cheap !!)

[Budge]

Watch Rogers grow in population. :)

[bcsco]

This is a ping list promoting Immigration Enforcement and Congressional Reform.
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As usual, no daily pings on Saturday, Sunday...

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[graygirl]

“( a side note.....I saw on Dallas news last night where court translators (paid 25 bucks a hour) are now seeking a raise to 50 bucks per hour”

So 20 pt hrs per week for a year = $48,000. Is my math wrong here?

[org.whodat]

Only criminals who are carted off to jail for offenses other than immigration violation will have their immigration status determined by jail authorities. If they are illegal,

True but driving without a license will get you carted off to jail and deported.

[TexasRedeye]

True but driving without a license will get you carted off to jail...

I certainly hope so!

[fidelio]

Apparently it is more than just one city.

http://boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=75477

[fella]

Rogers and Springdale (next door) Have been over-run by illegals imported by the poultry industry headed up by Tysons, Cargil and Butterball.

My wife went to check out a technical job at Cargil. The guard only spoke Spanish, after getting past him and to the HR office the latina receptionist was speaking Spanish with two workers. The wife then told the receptionist who she had come to meet with and while waiting a number of other people pasted trough and only Spanish was spoken. While speaking with the HR lady (who happened to be American) my wife asked if she would have to speak Spanish for the job and was told that Spanish was not a requirement for employment. They wanted her to fill out an application and interview right then but my wife had other appointments that day. So the HR person said that would be OK and gave her an application to take it home and fill it out and bring it back. So she took it and went back to the car to leave, when she got to the car she looked at the application and it was in Spanish. True story.

[gubamyster]

ping

[NewRomeTacitus]

Apparently it is more than just one city.

287(g) is being used by as many cities that the Feds can train with (currently) limited resources - my city of Nashville is among those already active.

What I find bizarre is how Rogers, Arkansas wussed out to the demands of special interest traitors and "negotiated" terms of the program's use. That shows how far down the path of corruptive ruination that municipality has traveled.