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BAIRC in the News |
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Proposed Immigration Law Worries Daly City
Proposed legislation
By Emily Fancher, Staff Writer
San Mateo County Times
04/21/04
DALY CITY -- Officials here are worried that proposed federal legislation that would enable local police to enforce immigration laws could create an intimidating atmosphere for residents and an overwhelming burden on police.
Daly City expects to pass a resolution soon against the proposed Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act, which has 120 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mayor Sal Torres and state Assemblyman Leland Yee, and officials throughout the state, have condemned the legislation.
"Right now we can ill afford to divert law enforcement personnel from their primary responsibilities," said Yee, citing the local and state budget crisis.
A majority of Daly City's population is foreign-born, mostly Asians and Hispanics; if the Clear Act passes, it could have a disproportionate effect on the city's police force and residents.
The proposed law would authorize state and local law enforcement to investigate, catch, detain and remove illegals from the United States. It would provide police and sheriffs with some training and make $1 billion a year available for grants to reimburse cities for some of the costs associated with the additional duties. It also would require local police to provide a list of immigration violators to the National Crime Information Center database and to the Department of Homeland Security.
Supporters say the law would help catch not just suspected terrorists, but thousands of criminals who have outstanding deportation orders. They say the federal government can't enforce immigration laws without help from local law enforcement.
"The intent is a good one, but when they put pen to paper, it came out all wrong," Torres said.
Torres said the city's police force already is overburdened and that the law does not guarantee proper training or funds for local police.
He said an officer could ask a resident for immigration papers just because he speaks with an accent or looks foreign-born.
"This could lead to racial profiling," he added.
He is also concerned that immigrants would not come forward as either victims or witnesses of crimes, creating an additional public safety problem.
Sheila Chung, director of the Bay Area Immigration Rights Coalition, said the House legislation and a parallel law in the Senate probably won't pass. However, she said aspects of the bill likely will resurface in other homeland security legislation.
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