Mayor takes heat on immigration plans

As reported in the Chronicle's blog
April 21, 2009

About 50 people came to City Hall today to protest Mayor Bill White's decision to participate in the federal government's 287(g) program, which trains local jailers to assist immigration agents.

Standing in front of signs that read "Deportation destroys families," several representatives of the group Pastores en Accion (Pastors in Action) urged the mayor to reconsider, saying stepped-up immigration enforcement in the jails could have a ripple effect of broader enforcement by police officers in immigrant communities, or even spill over into racial profiling.

Rev. Diane McGehee, one of the pastors who attended the public session of City Council, who also identified herself as a lawyer, said the policy would target "the least of these," a reference to Christ's admonition in Matthew 25:40.

"As a pastor, I believe the way we treat the immigrant population in this country is going to define who we are," she said. "I think how we treat the immigrant population defines our future... As a Christian, we are told by Christ to love everyone equally, the immigrants as well as our brother, father, sister, mother. I'm really concerned about 287g."

White defended the policy, noting that the city's aim is to ensure that the city has the right information to be able to help federal agents remove from this country "deportable felons" -- that is, legal or illegal immigrants that have been convicted of felony crimes.

The mayor has said he was galvanized to call on the federal government to improve its cooperation with cities and counties after last month's shooting of Houston Police Officer Richard Salter, who was critically injured by an illegal immigrant from El Salvador during a drug raid and remains hospitalized.

He may have also been moved to request 287(g) after a Houston Chronicle report last month showed that few illegal immigrants are being identified in the city jail. Last year, HPD jailers detained for immigration officials less than 1 percent of the 58,774 suspects booked only into the city's jails and not transferred to the Harris County Jail.

After the report, White asked to participate in 287(g) and to commit to using a Homeland Security database that automatically checks suspects' immigration history.

In today's council meeting, he said that 287(g) "has become sort of a symbol of something else on both sides of this immigration issue."

As advocates spoke in the meeting, dozens of people held up "No to 287g" signs in the audience, and several Council Members expressed reservations about the program and called for a more complete dialogue with the mayor.

If police officers have discretion to take someone to jail because they are driving without a license, "a lot of people will be going to jail," said Councilman M.J. Khan, a Pakistani immigrant who admitted to forgetting his driver's license in the past. "Chances are that a lot of innocent people who have nothing to do with this huge issue of illegal immigration will be getting hurt if that happens."

"I'm concerned about splitting families, and I'm concerned that we have an immigrant community that's fearful of dealing with police," said Councilman James Rodriguez. "Communication and dialogue is what's needed here."

Khan and Rodriguez said they support the idea of keeping violent criminals off the streets.