Don't you think this will help??Note:"evelyn "cruz" says"you will lose the 'trust' of these people"WHO CARES!!

[jerard]

Police, feds teaming up vs. 'worst' migrants
Illegal migrants' crime targeted by task force
Monica Alonzo-Dunsmoor
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 26, 2007 12:00 AM

Federal immigration enforcement agents are now on the streets of Phoenix to reinforce police efforts to get the "worst of the worst" undocumented immigrants off city streets.

Ten full-time Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents joined the Phoenix Police Department to work alongside detectives investigating violent and property crimes.

It's the first time a U.S. city has forged a side-by-side partnership with agents to intensify the fight against the criminal activity related to illegal immigration, including human and drug smuggling, kidnapping and murder. advertisement




As part of the dual approach, each agency is picking up its own costs.

"We don't have to take the officers away from our neighborhoods and businesses . . . to become immigration enforcement officers," Mayor Phil Gordon said. "Rather, we are taking ICE agents and effectively making them Phoenix police officers."

The instantaneous exchange of information will mean that criminals and victims in the country illegally can be more quickly identified. The quicker those links are made, the better chance police have at solving cases, making arrests and putting a dent in illegal immigration.

"(Agents) bring an expertise and assist the police department in solving their cases," said Alonzo Peña, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent in charge. "And at the same time, it's allowing us to do what we do, and that's going after criminal aliens."


Targeting criminals


Working this closely with immigration enforcement agents is a first for Phoenix police detectives, but tracking down criminals who are undocumented immigrants is a routine part of their job.

"Police officers are going after the worst of the worst," Gordon said. "And they've been doing it without fanfare."

Last year, Phoenix police arrested 2,800 criminals who were undocumented immigrants and turned them over for prosecution and deportation. They also handed federal authorities 1,200 undocumented immigrants who got caught in those arrests at area drop houses.

Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris said the Police Department's relationship with ICE does not mean sweeping investigations of individuals just because of their immigration status.

"When we put our efforts into investigating a crime, we're not investigating the crime of being undocumented," Harris said. "That's not the direction that we're going. We're investigating whatever the crime is. And if that person turns out to be undocumented, then there's a hold placed on them at the county jail and they're turned over to ICE."

Gordon said he hopes that publicizing the partnership's work will shatter the perception that undocumented immigrants committing crimes in Phoenix simply get a pass.




Call for reform


Phoenix's new partnership comes as frustration over illegal immigration continues to run high.

Community groups have staged hunger strikes and plan marches through downtown Phoenix to draw attention to the need for federal immigration reform.

Some residents continue to push for local police officers to double as immigration enforcement agents.

The county sheriff plans to send 160 deputies for training to enable them to enforce federal immigration laws.

Phoenix officials said they believe this approach is best.

"There is a segment of our community that would like Phoenix police officers to become designated immigration agents and spend their time going after and enforcing immigration laws whether the people are involved in property crimes or violent crimes or not," Harris said. "With the very limited resources that we have, we feel this is the best way . . . to make our community safe."

Still, Evelyn Cruz, associate clinical professor of law at Arizona State University, said the partnership between Phoenix and ICE creates the potential to fracture community trust.

"(Phoenix officials) think they're solving it this way, but the bigger problem is that you lose the trust of the community," she said. "Not just the undocumented residents, but even the green-card holders. They may want to stay away from the police . . . you're silencing anyone afraid of immigration agents."


Promising results


Law enforcement officials are confident their approach will work the way it did this month when police rolled up to a crime scene near 75th Avenue and Indian School Road.

Investigators discovered the body of a Hispanic man who had been shot by a fellow human smuggler and soon learned that the men had kidnapped six people and were extorting money from their families, police said.

Both agencies got a jump on the criminal investigation.

ICE agents identified the individuals at the scene, which helped the police investigation into the homicide. The ledgers, weapons and forged documents found at the scene helped federal agents build a case against the organization behind the smuggling ring.

But Gordon said that a "real solution still lies with the federal government."

[delton]

You are correct. Who cares if we lose the trust of ILLEGALS. The very idea that we would care if we had their trust or not is rediculous. They obviously don't trust in our laws since they break them at every opportunity. It is people who make these kinds of statements that are ruining the United States.

The "War" on illegals is only just beginning. Be prepared to see alot more demonstrations by illegals in our streets. We just need to stay strong in our efforts to get the vermin out of our country (round them up and ship them out when they protest) and stay on all government agencies backs to ensure they do their job of enforcing existing laws.

[ayize]

I dont know about all legal immigrants,but the ones here in my town and the ones I talk to online are very much against illegal immigration,so sounds to me like Evelyn Cruz is grasping at straws in hopes of saving here illegal friends.looks like maybe we are finally being heard!!!!!! I know I dont "trust" illegals so guess the feeling will be mutual!!!!!!!