San Jose: Two federal immigration agents to help in city's anti-gang crackdown

[alp227]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

About to lose more than 100 officers to layoffs and struggling with a bloody spate of gang slayings, San Jose police brass leaped at the chance to get for free the loan of a pair of elite federal agents to help them investigate the city's violent Nortenos, Surenos and other criminal crews.

But the SJPD is also a department that has repeatedly and publicly emphasized that it does not actively cooperate with the normal immigration enforcement of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, which is the agency from which the investigators hail.

When told of the embedded agents, who start Monday, some local immigrant advocates expressed concern.

"With all the anti-immigrant sentiment out there, we have to be careful with what that collaboration would be like,'' said Zelica Rodriguez, a director with Services, Immigrants Rights & Education Network (SIREN). "We worry that they are saying it's to fight crime, when in reality it still is about enforcing immigration law.''

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_18347748

[TxVietVet]

1. Looks like a new trend. Lay off cops, get help from Federal Agents.

Specifically target illegal aliens, especially criminal gang members. Send 'em home.

[Corruption Winz]

2. Ummmm...

"We worry that they are saying it's to fight crime, when in reality it still is about enforcing immigration law."

Call me crazy, but isn't it against the law to be in this country illegally? Meaning, that they would be fighting crime?

I understand that it has to do with the tactics. However, that should ALWAYS be monitored. Regardless of the tactics used or the crimes and/or criminals involved.

[EFerrari]

3. No, the point is when the polce get involved in immigration enforcement

it sets them against the community. That's dangerous for everybody. And immigration law is not criminal law.

[Corruption Winz]

5. Maybe I'm old-fashioned..

but the law is the law. You can agree or disagree with it, but it's still law. Enforcing that law should be officers of the law. I'm not saying they do it well or even moderately well. But, in theory, that's how it should work, in my opinion.

While I understand they don't want to be set against the community, that shouldn't allow people to break the law and entering this country illegally is still against the law.

I think we should have anyone come into this country that wants to work, pay their taxes and move on. But, that's a different issue.

[EFerrari]

7. Immigration law is not criminal law. They have separate courts

and everything. So your theory would be incorrect.

[Corruption Winz]

8. I understand that they have different counrts..

But, it's not a theory. I'm not saying that what I said is how it IS. I'm saying that's how I look at it. Breaking the law is breaking the law.

[alp227]

4. Rodriguez' quote was pretty awkward, but I think she meant racial profiling

at the risk of putting words in her mouth, but I think she's worried about the federal agents targeting mostly the illegals who didn't commit any other crimes than their presence. ICE should focus on the gang members (as reply #1 said) and other high-level/repeat offenders.

And what's the "it" that you say should always be monitored? The immigration enforcement?

[Corruption Winz]

6. The "it" is law enforcement of any kind..

In general, it would just safer for everyone involved if the people hired to uphold the law were being monitored by a separate entity that could be intrusted. Wishful thinking, I know. Internal affairs is supposed to handle this, but for whatever reasons, so much still goes on without notice.