Local police authorities should not take part in immigration control. Their primary duty is maintaining public safety, and to so do, in a city like ours, they need the trust of the undocumented community.
That is why we were initially concerned that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was engaged in identifying undocumented immigrants in jails, because it crossed a fine line that could be open to confusion. Now the Department of Homeland Security is renewing agreements under the controversial 287(g) programs with the Sheriff, expanding local work on immigration issues.
A study on the new agreement by county authorities indicated that the changes make the Sheriff the "primary enforcer of federal immigration law." Sheriff’s deputies will assume greater responsibility in identifying and processing the undocumented. The same analysis also indicates that the program designed to get the most dangerous criminals off the streets has turned people over to immigration authorities for minor offenses.
We believe it is inappropriate for deputies to perform such duties. In addition to the immigration issue, the new agreement includes additional expenses that are not reimbursed by the federal government, stripping the Sheriff of financial and human resources to adequately fulfill his primary mission of ensuring public safety on the streets.
We hope the Board of Supervisors follows the recommendations of the internal study and does not allow the expansion of immigration control work within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
