The debate about the relationship between local police and the people they protect is spelled out by a Colorado ballot question focused on immigration.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment 81 would require local police and sheriff deputies to determine whether certain people charged with crimes are “lawfully present” in the United States and notify federal agents if they suspect they lack legal status.
The requirement would apply to people accused, as well as convicted, of violent crimes or those with previous criminal convictions.
Denver District Attorney John Walsh says embroiling police in immigration politics can erode trust in immigrant communities and make them reluctant to report crimes.
“Unless a person charged with a crime happens to be carrying their passport, or unless local law enforcement can verify their immigration status within 72 hours, Amendment 81 would require us to report that person to ICE,” Walsh told reporters for Colorado Newsline. “It inevitably means that law enforcement will be forced to report to ICE people who ultimately turn out to be American citizens and people who are lawful permanent residents of the United States. It is a recipe for abuse and racial and ethnic profiling.”
While Sentinel Colorado can’t, and isn’t, make a recommendation to readers about whether to approve or reject the ballot question — because the Sentinel is a non-profit, 501(C)(3) — the Sentinel editorials can and have for years cautioned the public about any policy changes that endanger the mission of police by embroiling them in the politics of immigration and mass deportation.
Efforts to link local police to immigration enforcement put police, the community and those they contact all at risk, especially people who are victims or witnesses.
Local police can tell you that undocumented residents fear that contacting local police could expose themselves or their families to immigration enforcement.
Research on police-community relations, the experience of police departments and the observations of officers themselves have long pointed to the importance of trust when investigators need victims and witnesses to come forward. If immigrants, including people who are undocumented, believe that calling local police could trigger an immigration inquiry, some will certainly decide that reporting a robbery, assault, fraud or other crime is too risky.
Those very real consequences don’t stop with undocumented immigrants.
People who are reluctant to contact police can become easier targets for criminals and scammers. Someone who believes a police report could lead to an immigration investigation may be less willing to report wage theft, domestic violence, financial fraud, identity theft or other crimes.
In communities where immigrants and people of color make up a large share of the population, like Aurora, the effects of that distrust can spread well beyond undocumented residents.
Media reports of immigrants with legal credentials being harassed by federal immigration agents and even wrongfully detained or deported has a chilling effect on whether to contact, or even allow contact, with police.
There are other approaches to the employment side of illegal immigration that deserve consideration. One previously proposed plan requires workers, regardless of immigration status, to establish authorization to work before being hired, while placing meaningful penalties on employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers. Congress also could address the status of undocumented immigrants who meet whatever qualifications lawmakers establish for lawful employment.
Local police depend on victims and witnesses to report crimes. If a substantial portion of a community becomes reluctant to seek police assistance because of immigration concerns, the effects could reach victims, witnesses, officers and everyone who lives or works alongside them.
That is a community-safety issue, not merely an immigration-policy question.
Perhaps instead of perpetuating myths about fear of cooperation the Sentinel could promulgate the truth, which is that crime victims, and crime witnesses who are non-citizens can be, and routinely are, given legal status, they are given S, T, and or U visas good for up to three years for their cooperation and testimony and during that three years are given preferential treatment when applying for permanent status. The best thing a non-citizen can do to secure their status is, in fact, to cooperate with law enforcement. Maybe the Sentinel can look into these facts and then report them. Of course that would take some effort and would require them to be open to facts instead of drinkers of their own kool-aid.
Well stated Publius. They also failed to mention that Denver, being a sanctuary city, puts the criminals back on the street so they can continue to commit crimes.
Publius, the S/T/U system exists, but Congress caps it at a low level compared with the large number of applicants who qualify but are not granted status.
“Publius, the S/T/U system exists, but Congress caps it at a low level compared with the large number of applicants who qualify but are not granted status.”
And? The US is not a paypiggy for the entire Third World. The levels are just fine and should probably be reduced further.
Police asking if someone who is doing something criminal is legally in the USA does not put police at risk or a hardship. It’s a question. If Denver wasn’t harboring and paying illegal aliens housing, health care, food assistance and many other perks lawful citizens don’t get-the costs would go down for tax payers across the board. We’d all be safer with less criminals.
It continues to baffle me why some Dems are intent on preventing cooperation with the federal government when it comes to those legally and illegally in the US who have committed and been convicted of crimes. Especially, serious crimes against victims and children. And then using those, who could most likely be future victims of these criminals, as an excuse not to report them. It’s nonsense. If you are an immigrant here legally or illegally in the US and you commit crimes, you should be deported plain and simple. How did this thinking get so twisted? Pro-crime sanctuary policies have no place in our society.