They Bear Witness if Not Deported

Added: (Wed Dec 23 2009)

Pressbox (Press Release) - It was a disturbing case, the murder of a homeless man, solved thanks to an eyewitness who had the courage to come forward to testify.

Crime happens no matter what demographics are involved. Be it White, Black or Latino, murder visits everyone at some point in time, causing ripples of anxiety to shiver through the community. This killing of a homeless man, an undocumented alien in Los Angeles, was brutal and the police had no witnesses. They lacked clues to take them any further than the fact that they had a dead body and no help.

One day another undocumented alien who had seen the crime take place stepped forward and told the police what he saw. Thanks to the information, the murderer was apprehended and put behind bars.
Situations like this happen daily in a city of the size of Los Angeles; in any city in fact, including Miami or Orlando. It was only because the illegal alien stood up and bore witness that the suspect was caught.

The only way for the police to be able to keep their cities safe is to be able to work with everyone in any community within their city limits. This requires trust and the assistance of all those who live in the various precincts. Getting this kind of timely help from immigrants is a rare thing; most illegal immigrants are afraid to have anything to do with the police for fear of being deported because of their status. What does that say about the perverse state of the nation?

If an undocumented alien reports information that solves a crime they run the risk of being shipped back home. Surely this is an unrealistic fear? Unfortunately, it is not unrealistic. Witness the Department of Homeland Security recently announcing more locations across the nation who will participate in program 287(g). This is one of the most hotly debated programs in law enforcement. This also brings up some very pointed questions about the human rights of illegal workers.

287(g) lets local police wield the power of federal immigration agents. Currently many communities have declined to be a part of this program; however, 67 state and local police agencies “are” working with ICE by acting as immigration agents. The number of lines this crosses legally speaking are virtually endless. What this kind of dual power does to others and their rights, rights under the Constitution and basic human rights, is a highly contentious issue.

Perhaps it makes the most sense to approach the issue from a different point of view and not have police speak to people only to find out if they are in the country legally. Crimes cannot be solved without the help of everyone, and that includes immigrants, legal or illegal.

We need to rethink how the presence of immigrants impacts on the total fabric of all our communities before implementing programs that ultimately drive away the very kind of help the police and others need to keep a community safe. If immigration reform is a way to accomplish this, then perhaps the nation needs to get on with passing it.