Irving mayor defends increased deportations
Rise in deportations leaves some immigrants feeling empty
11:39 PM CDT on Friday, September 21, 2007

By ISABEL C. MORALES and BRANDON FORMBY / Al D�a
imorales@aldiatx.com;bformby@dallasnews.com

Deportations in this city have skyrocketed in the last several months � from 262 in all of 2006 to 1,338 through mid-September.

"In this city, one has to be extra careful," he told Al D�a . "And if possible, avoid going through there, because we suspect, and with good reason, that people are being detained simply because of their appearance."

At least 1,600 people have been turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement since June 2006 as part of the Criminal Alien Program, which provides for round-the-clock communication with federal authorities and is designed to detain illegal immigrants who have been accused of a crime.

The program is the latest tool being used by local governments � in the absence of a federal overhaul of immigration laws � as they struggle with problems created by illegal immigration. Some residents in Irving have complained that illegal immigrants have transformed the city in negative ways � with too many people crammed into dilapidated homes, and neighbors parking too many cars in their yards.

And Irving Mayor Herbert Gears says that he will "utilize whatever we are able to use to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in Irving, and that includes for the immigrant population."

But consulate officials say they believe innocent people are being unfairly targeted.

Consuls from El Salvador and Mexico met with Mr. Gears and Police Chief Larry Boyd nearly two months ago to talk about the rising number of deportations. During that meeting, the mayor said officials were checking out complaints to determine whether anyone had been stopped without cause.

But "the complaints keep pouring in and nothing's changed," Mr. Hubbard said.

Mr. Gears said he knew of some two dozen complaints filed with foreign consulates about Irving's program during its first few months. And while he says he's determined to investigate and follow up on each one, he stands behind the program.

But Mr. Gears said he understands the Mexican Consulate's message.

"His warning is significant," he said. "The representatives of that office are serving their constituents well with that communication."

The Irving City Council unanimously approved an ordinance adopting the Criminal Alien Program earlier this year after police began practicing it in 2006.

Mr. Gears said he believes Irving turns over more illegal immigrants for deportation than any other city in the country. And he estimates the number at about 300 people a month � from 23 countries, including Mexico and El Salvador.

The No. 1 offense that people are arrested for is driving with a suspended license, he said.

Mr. Gears, however, opposes using a federal program called "287g" that trains local officers and jailers to act as immigration officers.

"Why do we have to turn our officers over to the federal government?" he asked.

Irving City Council member Beth Van Duyne, one of two council members who favor 287g, believes city officials are obligated to uphold federal law.

Ms. Van Duyne said it's not an issue of race or nationality.

"I want to offer everybody an equal opportunity, but within the framework of our laws," she said.

[So, now it is appropriate to protest when a place actually enforces the law?]

More than 1,000 protest Irving's rise in deportations
They want freeze on city policy; mayor defends police actions
05:31 AM CDT on Thursday, September 27, 2007

By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News

Angered over a record number of recent deportations in Irving, more than 1,000 protesters waved U.S. flags and chanted "We are America" as they rallied Wednesday night at City Hall.

Demonstrators called for Irving officials to put a moratorium on turning over suspected illegal immigrants to federal officials until immigration laws are reformed nationally. They also urged people to call Mayor Herbert Gears and ask him to stop deporting people from the city's jail.

What a joke!

Since when do members of the criminal element get to protest the enforcement of the laws against them? What's next - pedophiles protesting the enforcement of child molestation laws?

Thats sort of the reason for a lot of protests... when you disagree with laws or policies of the government. People protested the draft and for the right to vote.

So, what is the social wrong here? The deportation of people who illegally entered a country and then committed a crime? What is the immoral object of that act that cries out for justice?

More than 1,300 are arrested as U.S. officials target immigrant criminals in Southland.

By Anna Gorman and Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

Federal officers in Southern California over the last two weeks have arrested more than 1,300 immigrants, most of whom either have criminal records or have failed to abide by deportation orders -- part of an intensifying but controversial effort across the nation to remove such violators.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which plans to announce the operation at a news conference in Los Angeles today, called the sweep the largest of its kind in the U.S. Nearly 600 of those arrested at homes, workplaces and in jails have already been deported.

"Where these laws may not have been enforced in the past, that has changed," said Jim Hayes, Los Angeles field office director for ICE.

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, pressure has been growing on the federal government to crack down on illegal immigrants, especially those who have committed crimes. And ICE has been waging a public relations battle to show that it is addressing the problem.

In the recent ICE operation, nearly 90% of the immigrants arrested had criminal records, deportation orders or had reentered the United States after being removed. The rest, 146, were "collateral" arrests -- people who encountered the agents and could not prove they were in the United States legally. Officers arrested 530 immigrants in their homes and workplaces and took custody of nearly 800 others from jails in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The 1,327 arrests surpassed the 1,297 undocumented immigrants arrested by ICE agents at meat processing plants in six states last December, part of an investigation into identity theft.

The enforcement is the latest example of the how some local law enforcement agencies are cooperating with federal authorities to ensure that criminals are identified and deported, rather than simply released from jail. ICE recently created a 24-hour command center, complete with a specific e-mail address and phone number, where local law enforcement officers can exchange information with immigration agents to identify possible deportees.

Opposing groups rally in Irving over Criminal Alien Program deportations
Group opposed to CAP also expected to gather
04:23 PM CDT on Saturday, October 13, 2007

By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News

Opposing groups fought to chant over each other Saturday in rallies focusing on the Irving Police Department�s use of a controversial program that turns illegal immigrants who have been arrested over to federal officials for deportation proceedings.

About 500 people protesting the city�s use of the Criminal Alien Program arrived at City Hall mid-afternoon, where about 200 people who support the program had been converged for hours.

People in both groups waved American flags and held signs voicing their opinions.

As the crowd of protesters arrived at City Hall, they chanted in Spanish, �We are America!�

Supporters of CAP repeatedly shouted, �English! English! English!� and �Deport! Deport! Deport!�

CAP provides around-the-clock communication with federal authorities, who interview arrestees and place immigration detainers on those who are suspected illegal immigrants.

Irving officials began using the program in September 2006 and have since turned more than 1,600 people over to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation. That�s about 11 percent of all people arrested in the 13 months ending Sept. 30.

Enrique and Eva Hinojosa attended the rally supporting police because they are upset about rumors of racial profiling many activists have spread. The couple said in the 37 years they have lived in Irving they have never felt singled out by police because they are Hispanic.

�That�s untrue,� Mr. Hinojosa said. �The police are just doing their job.�

Mrs. Hinojosa said illegal immigrants have no right to ask for citizenship or special treatment.

�What rights have they been given to fly this flag?� she said.

The rally in support of CAP was organized by the Dallas-based Citizens for Immigration Reform. Group president Jean Towell said members planned to protest peacefully.

�Our government has not kept to its oath to protect us from invasion,� Ms. Towell said.

Ten-year-old Gerardo Claudio attended the rally opposing CAP with his parents, who are Mexican immigrants. His mother bought him a red, white and blue T-shirt that read �100% Home-grown in the USA.�

�I am supporting my family by not letting them get deported by other persons,� said Claudio, who is a U.S. citizen and a fifth-grader at Good Elementary School in Irving.

Claudio said he was sad because he has a friend who may move to Denton because of the deportations in Irving.

About 60 Irving police officers were on duty to patrol the march and both rallies. Police planned to close West Irving Boulevard near city hall and Rock Island Road and between Main Street to City Hall during the events. Barricades had been erected at City Hall to keep the groups separated.

The number of detainers placed on Irving arrestees each month more than doubled this year when ICE officials stopped visiting the jail and Irving officials began alerting ICE by phone about every inmate whose citizenship was in doubt.

The city�s use of the program gained broad attention last month when Mexican Consul Enrique Hubbard Urrea warned immigrants to stay out of the city. A rally protesting the program drew several hundred people to Irving City Hall days later. But those in support of CAP inundated the city with phone calls urging police to keep using it.

Irving has found itself in the national spotlight in recent weeks for its use of the program. Several city officials and residents feel the city is being held up as an example of how to use existing programs to enforce immigration federal laws without weighing in on the national debate.

At least nine North Texas law enforcement agencies have adopted the Criminal Alien Program or a similar effort in which federal officials are routinely notified about arrestees whose immigration status is suspicious.

Nationwide, the numbers of people being handed over for deportation under CAP are increasing. In October 2006, ICE placed 7,138 detainers on suspected illegal immigrants who had been arrested on other charges. In August, that number ballooned to 18,628.

The national spotlight, however, has been focused on Irving because it may have made more referrals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement than any other city in the last year, Mayor Herbert Gears said. Federal officials said they don�t track which agencies have programs or how the efforts work.

In recent weeks, national networks and news shows such as CNN, Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight have used Irving as the backdrop for illegal immigration stories.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who was in Dallas this week, criticized the program. On Friday, he and Irving Mayor Herbert Gears had a closed-door meeting in which they discussed details of the program and why Irving uses it.

Saturday�s opposing rallies came less than a month after more than 1,000 protesters rallied at Irving City Hall and called for an end to the city�s use of CAP. That rally was conducted mostly in Spanish; a few dozen supporters of CAP attended.