Houston As a Sanctuary City??

In yesterday's Headlines I posted some comments on the pettition that has been started to add to the city charter language that keeps the city from ignoring immigration issues.

Today at the top of Section B the City & State is the headline "Will Houston remain a Sanctuary City? My quetstion is why was Houston ever allowed to become a sanctuary city?

The heated national debate on immigration may give a boost to the Houston group that wants local police to help crack down on illegal immigrants, but getting the proposition on the ballot still won't be easy.
"It is a lot of effort and takes a lot of volunteers to mount a campaign like this," said Bruce Hotze, who has helped organize several successful petition drives but so far is not involved in this one. "It can be done."

AMEN.... illegal is illegal, and there should not be any safe haven for people who have broken any law. Selective enforcement is not an option. Not only that but I would put good money that insurance premiums would go down as well as the crime rate if illegals knew that they could and would be detained if they are found at any time.

Protect Our Citizens director Mary Williams said the group is doing that. It was contacted Wednesday by several community leaders and residents who wanted to help with the project, she said.
"It's a very basic grass-roots type of reaction," Williams said.
Petition supporters want to change a Houston police order, which they call a "sanctuary policy," that prohibits officers from seeking information about the immigration status of people they encounter, and from detaining anyone solely for being in the country illegally.
They are allowed to inquire about the status of people arrested for other crimes.

This is back to selective enforcement. Being here illegally is still breaking a law, civil or criminal it does not matter. If I were to break a civil statute I would still be arrested.

Under federal law being in the country illegally is a civil and not a criminal offense.
The group's Web site provides a copy of the petition that supporters can download, sign and circulate. "This issue has a life of its own," Williams said. "They'll take it and run with it if they care about it."The police policy has generated vehement opposition since it was ordered in 1992, but it has strong support from many city and police officials.
Mayor Bill White said Tuesday that local law enforcement should not be responsible for upholding immigration law.
"We do not want to reduce the ability of police to investigate crimes by making them do the work of the federal authorities," he said.

I'm sorry Mayor White but your liberal colors are showing... If someone is in an auto accident and they are here illegally they should be questioned about it. Then they should be arrested, turned over to ICE, their vehicle impounded and the person and all family members here with them should be deported. Plain and simple

"Clearly we have a lot of contacts on a daily basis with people who are not here legally, but that is not to say that they are violating some city ordinance or state law. We deal with them because they are involved in accidents, or they are victims of crime," said HPD spokesman Sgt. David Crain. "If they fear that when we pull up, that we're there only trying to seek out what their status is, we will lose that trust."
Police departments in several other cities with large immigrant populations, including San Antonio, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, have similar policies against checking on immigration status until after a suspect has been arrested on criminal charges.
"We let (immigration authorities) do their job, and we do ours," said Senior Cpl. Donna Hernandez, a Dallas police spokeswoman.
The position is not universal. Although the Phoenix Police Department does not enforce immigration laws, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office there does.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio permits deputies to arrest people suspected of being illegal immigrants and charge them with a felony under state law. On Wednesday, the Maricopa County Jail held 241 such suspects.
"I'm the only law enforcement officer in Arizona, probably in the whole country, arresting illegals along with the coyotes who transport them," he said. " We put 'em all in jail."

Sgt. Crain you are so full of it.. Of course those that are breaking the law are going to be afraid of contact with the police. But those legal citizens would probably not worry about contact. You are pandering to an irrational and unfounded fear. Bravo to Maricopia County Sheriff Joe Arpiao for enforcing the laws of this country.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association, a national group headed by Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt, asked Congress earlier this month to consider recommendations on immigration policing, including a measure making it voluntary for local police to enforce federal law.

Does this really surprise anyone...

Support the pettition go to their site Protect our Citizens and sign the pettition and help get this on the ballot.