Police Urged to Explore Immigration Duties

The City Council is encouraging the Police Department to research a new national law that allows the local agencies to act as immigration officers.

Councilman Mark Murphy, who raised the issue at a meeting last week, said he learned about the law from U.S. Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), who wrote that provision of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

The section “deputizes” police and gives them powers to arrest and deport people who are discovered to be in the country illegally. That power had belonged exclusively to agents of the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service.

“It struck a chord with me,” Murphy said of the informational session with Cox. “I think it’s important for the city to step forward on this particular item. We’ve seen a resurgence of undocumented gang activity. This would give police officers another tool to fight crime.”

All four of the other council members said they support the concept, but Mayor Joanne Coontz said the city has had a hard time getting details about how police would put the law into action.

“There is some question about what effect this would have on the Police Department,” said Coontz, who added that she would like to see more analysis of the law before moving forward.

Immigrant rights groups are also concerned about the new law and fear that if police start acting as immigration agents, a vital line of communication will be broken.

“This is going to destroy whatever trust was built between law enforcement and immigrant communities over the last 20 years,” said John Palacio, an official with the League of United Latin American Citizens, Santa Ana Council 147. “The need to work together right now to fight crime is essential.”

Police Chief John R. Robertson said the law could give officers help in dealing with gang problems but warned that the training involved might be costly. “It’s so new, not many people know the law exists or what it would require,” he said.

City officials said they hope to present their research on the issue at the council’s March 11 meeting.