LAPD won’t honor federal requests to detain some illegal immigrants

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/10/los-angeles-police-illegal-immigrants.html

October 4, 2012 | 1:09 pm

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck announced Thursday that his department will no longer honor requests from federal immigration officials to detain hundreds of illegal immigrants who are arrested each year for low-level crimes and wanted for deportation.

The proposed changes to LAPD protocols are the latest, and most dramatic, move by Beck to redefine the department's position on immigration issues. While the change is expected to impact only about 400 arrests a year, it marks a dramatic attempt by the nation's second-largest police department to distance itself from federal immigration policies that Beck says unfairly treats nonviolent offenders who are illegal immigrants.

Earlier this year, the chief pushed through a controversial plan that limits the cases in which police officers impound vehicles of drivers operating without a license -- a group consisting largely of illegal immigrants. And he came out in favor of issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Those earlier forays into the contentious arena of immigration policy earned Beck criticism from those who saw him as going soft on the rule of law and praise from immigration reform advocates.

This latest proposal, announced at a morning news conference, is certain to put Beck squarely back in that spotlight. The chief said he hopes to have the new rules in place by the start of the new year. They first must be approved by the Police Commission, a civilian oversight board.

Currently, the LAPD forwards information to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency on the roughly 100,000 people it arrests and books into custody each year. In about 3,400 cases each year, Beck said, the federal agency requests the LAPD to place a 48-hour hold on the people arrested in order to give federal agents time to take custody of them and begin deportation proceedings. The LAPD has honored all of those requests in the past.

Under the terms of the new plan, however, the LAPD would not keep people in custody for immigration officials if they have been arrested for certain nonviolent misdemeanors. Beck said the details of who would be impacted are still being worked out, but gave illegal vending, driving without a license and drinking in public as examples of the types of crimes that will be exempt. Documented gang members or anyone with a violent criminal past will still be held for immigration officials, Beck said.

Beck presented the changes as a way for the department to rebuild trust with the city's enormous immigrant population -- a trust that, he said, has been eroded over the years by the heavy-handed approach immigration officials have taken in which they have failed to distinguish violent, dangerous criminals from those committing petty crimes.

“I believe it makes the city a safer place for everyone,” Beck said. “We need to build trust in these communities. We need to build cooperation.”

The move comes on the heels of Gov. Jerry Brown’s decision this week to veto the Trust Act, a proposed law that would have gone much further than Beck’s proposed changes in barring local law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal authorities in detaining suspected illegal immigrants, except in cases of serious or violent crime.

ICE officials had no immediate comment on the LAPD’s policy change.

However, in January, ICE Director John Morton expressed serious concerns about the decision by authorities in Cook County, Ill., to ignore all of the so-called detainer requests. Morton said the action “undermines public safety,” and hindered the federal agency’s “ability to enforce the nation’s immigration laws.”

Morton also said that ordinance could violate federal law and urged local officials to reconsider.

Regarding the legality of his proposed move, Beck said City Atty. Carmen Trutanich's staff had provided him a legal opinion that local police departments can choose whether to honor ICE detainer requests.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Why do so many Californians including the LAPD hate America?

Edited October 4, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

It's not a hate of America; it's a hate of a police state.

Californians -- and I am one -- for the most part embrace freedom and tolerance, and that expressed itself very clearly way before the Vietnam war when the hippies moved to California.

The NAZI Germany's "papers please" suits Alaska and Arizona much better, so no worries for you.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

It's not a hate of America; it's a hate of a police state.

Californians -- and I am one -- for the most part embrace freedom and tolerance, and that expressed itself very clearly way before the Vietnam war when the hippies moved to California.

The NAZI Germany's "papers please" suits Alaska and Arizona much better, so no worries for you.

So in the minds of most Californians it's ok to break the laws of this country, like entering it illegally instead of going through this countries immigration process?

[justashooter 430]

So in the minds of most Californians it's ok to break the laws of this country, like entering it illegally instead of going through this countries immigration process?

double standard is part of the liberal mindset. there are no realities in liberalism.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

So in the minds of most Californians it's ok to break the laws of this country, like entering it illegally instead of going through this countries immigration process?

I don't get it either. It's currently the law. Enforce it. Stop rewarding and encouraging lawbreakers. Everyone here at VJ had to suffer through the process, why the hell should someone who illegally circumvents it get the easy way out?

[del-2-5-2014 1,339]

So in the minds of most Californians it's ok to break the laws of this country, like entering it illegally instead of going through this countries immigration process?

Commandant, which law particularly are you referring to?

Just as an FYI, I know most of the rogue breakaway states and their ilk, like to ignore this fact, but the job of immigration is a federal one not a city one.

Perhaps the Feds can set up Fed liaison office in LAPD and staffed by Feds so they can play Feds stuff and leave the LAPD to do their number one job which is to serve and protect it's citizens (including beating/maiming/killing them once in awhile).

[Neonred 3,575]

Commandant, which law particularly are you referring to?

Just as an FYI, I know most of the rogue breakaway states and their ilk, like to ignore this fact, but the job of immigration is a federal one not a city one.

Perhaps the Feds can set up Fed liaison office in LAPD and staffed by Feds so they can play Feds stuff and leave the LAPD to do their number one job which is to serve and protect it's citizens (including beating/maiming/killing them once in awhile).

You try to make it sound as if "rogue states" are doing this on their own against federal policy. My city has been an active participant in the 287(g) program since June 2007. It consists of a four week training session and an active signed agreement with ICE. Nothing "rogue" about it, just enforcing the law with the approval and blessing of ICE. Those found to be illegal are turned over to ICE. Yes, it does make the illegals and the illegal sympathizers uncomfortable, but is that a problem? Or are you all for illegal presence in the US?

Here is the link http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2012/sep/16/rambosk-renew-detention-agreement-ice-287g-illegal/

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I wish the LAPD would say "We are not going to detain any illegal immigrants because we want them to be able to LEAVE when we implement the state tax of $100,000 per person per day on employers that exploit humans for profit by hiring illegals." They won't

I am not particualrly in support of "enforcing" laws that do not work. Better to change to something that works and let the polcie do something else.

In this case, the FEDs, who do not really want to lose their slaves are putting it off on California and California who really needs the slaves is not going to enforce it and the4 FEDs will tell people that hate illegal immigrants "we tried". No one wants to do anything to eliminate slavery. Everyone knows the answer

Edited October 5, 2012 by Gary and Alla

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

So in the minds of most Californians it's ok to break the laws of this country, like entering it illegally instead of going through this countries immigration process?

I'll take the bait and bite.

We don't think it's okay to break the law.

But "unlawful presence" is only a civil infraction, like you not putting money in the parking meter. If it was a crime, even a serious misdemeanor, things would look differently, but that's not the case. "Illegal entry" is a misdemeanor, but that would have to be proven by the D.A. on a case-to-case basis, and, frankly, the D.A.s have more important things to do.

California's prisons are so overcrowded with people who got caught smoking pot, that we have to release real criminals early. There's no point in releasing more of them so that Jose, the guy who mows our lawn and washes our car and picks our avocados, can be locked up.

You will have to see this as what it is: a financial problem. Our budget allows for up to 400,000 deportations per year, and even those are on credit. So we want to keep those slots open for the guys who raped your sister, or killed your grandma, instead of Pedro who helped you to clean out your garage dumpster. That's also the main reason why we want the DREAM Act to pass: we have 11,000,000 illegal aliens, perhaps millions more, so it would take already 27,5 years to deport them all, and that only if NO new ones can enter the U.S in the coming 27,5 years! Crazy? You bet. Want more deportation? How you are going to pay for that? Higher taxes? Seriously? Do you think any political candidate proposing higher taxes has a chance of getting elected? When it comes to our own money, everything else is secondary. Thus, we need to take off some of the illegal aliens, and those guys are the children who were brought here by their parents. We rather allow them to work and pay income taxes, than continuing to work under the table. We still have about 10,000,000 illegal aliens after the DREAM Act passes, so this is far from an amnesty, Reagan style. We'll be busy deporting people for decades to come.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

And yet Obama comes down on the states that want to implement the current immigration laws? Double standards? You betcha. Let's just hand this country over to Mexico and get it over with. Why prolong becoming a 3rd world country when we can just open up our borders and get it over with quick like.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

And yet Obama comes down on the states that want to implement the current immigration laws? Double standards? You betcha. Let's just hand this country over to Mexico and get it over with. Why prolong becoming a 3rd world country when we can just open up our borders and get it over with quick like.

The current immigration laws are worthless without severe and strict financial penalties for exploiting smuggled humans for profit. No fence will work, no law will work. As long as there is a financial incentive to smuggle humans and exploit them for profit it WILL happen. No one involved with it wants to stop it.

They can stop it tomorrow. Make it economic suicide for a business or individual to exploit smuggled humans. It will end the same day and all the people that were smuggled in will walk out IF we do not fence them in or "detain" them