Migrant Fight Taxes O.C. City’s Police Chief

Costa Mesa Police Chief John Hensley said Tuesday that he had been personally torn by the city’s ongoing battle over illegal immigration and had considered retiring.

The chief said that although he was not a booster of the city’s plan to use local police to help enforce federal immigration laws, he had worked tirelessly to explain it to the city’s immigrants and businesses, and the nation’s news media.

City Hall was beset by rumors that he was resigning. But when asked about it, Hensley’s only comment was “It has crossed my mind.”

Hensley turned 50 on Friday, which qualifies him for retirement after 23 years of service as a public safety officer in Costa Mesa, Cypress and Manhattan Beach.

Since the City Council approved the policy in December, Hensley said, he has spent many hours explaining that the policy calls only for checking the immigration status of felony suspects after arrest, not sweeps of area businesses to apprehend illegal immigrants.

With the policy, the Orange County city of 110,000 residents, a third of them Latino, became the first city in the nation to express interest in training local police in immigration law. The plan immediately drew support and opposition from activists across Southern California.

Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona has proposed something similar for his deputies.

The policy prompted anger and fear among the city’s Latino residents. Despite assurances from the chief and others, they said they feared that all immigrants, legal and illegal, would be subject to police harassment and intimidation.

On Saturday, about 1,500 protesters, mostly Latino immigrants and their children, protested at City Hall -- along with a handful of area residents opposed to illegal immigration.

Mayor Allan Mansoor, who pushed the plan through the council, said it was necessary. “Sometimes things that need to be done are not always easy. I believe we need to uphold the laws.

“The public needs to realize that everyone who commits a crime who is illegal is not necessarily deported,” he said.

Hensley told council members last month that the plan would pull officers off the streets and initially cost more than $200,000 to train 30 to 40 officers. He said the immigration status of suspects was checked when they were moved to a county jail anyway.

“I suspect we’re getting local control,” he said. “We won’t have to rely on [federal authorities] stopping by or the sheriff doing screening.”

But, he added, “I’m not sure how it is making Costa Mesa safer.”

At several public meetings, Hensley has appeared tense and uncomfortable commenting on the city’s plan.

As president of the Orange County Police Chiefs and Sheriff’s Assn., he said, he has heard other law enforcement officers’ opposition to such a policy but that had not helped him cope with “a difficult situation.”

“It’s easy to chime in on this when it’s not your city,” Hensley said.

Hensley said he was challenged to “carry out the City Council’s wishes and make sure residents cooperate with the police.”

Hensley took over the 160-officer Costa Mesa police force three years ago after a five-year stint as the Cypress police chief. He also worked for 14 years in the Manhattan Beach Police Department, beginning as a patrol officer and leaving as a captain.

In Costa Mesa, he said, he promoted quality-of-life issues. He changed the police cars from white to black-and-white, which officers liked.

Hensley said he had told Mansoor his opinions about the plan but would not elaborate.

When Councilwoman Katrina Foley, an opponent of the program, asked on March 7, “In your professional opinion, do you think that [immigration] training will actually help our officers prevent crime?”

“I plead the 5th,” Hensley responded in jest.

Then he added, “If one person is deported who could prey on our community, the program would be worth it. But I do not have any data to back this up. I cannot give you a solid answer.”

At the meeting, Hensley’s comments put him in opposition to the mayor. Mansoor said the local immigration check was worth the extra money: “I think instead of looking for reasons to not enforce the law, we should be looking to uphold the oath that we took.”