Police should stay out of the business of combatting illegal immigration, Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton says in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece posted today.
Bratton says dumping immigration policing on city police will destroy relationships between officers and many residents, in cluding legal ones.
"Every day our effectiveness is diminished because immigrants living and working in our communities are afraid to have any contact with the police," Bratton writes. "A person reporting a crime should never fear being deported, but such fears are real and palpable for many of our immigrant neighbors."
Bratton says the fear is often warranted, citing a Homeland Security program that gives local law enforcement agencies that sign agreements with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement the powers of federal immigration agents.
more . . .
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/10/lapd-chief-keep-police-out-of-immigration-battle.html