Key Findings:
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Local police do not have the training or expertise to enforce immigration laws.
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Liability concerns have arisen over police enforcement of immigration laws. In a 1994 incident, police in Katy, Texas, conducted raids in search of illegal immigrants. More than 80 of the individuals temporarily detained were Hispanics who were either U.S. citizens or foreign nationals in the country legally. The Katy Police Department faced numerous lawsuits alleging civil rights violations.[i]
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Peaceable migrants assist police officers in the investigation and prevention of crime – and thus help to increase public safety – if they are not afraid to communicate what they know.
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A 2003 study showed that first-generation immigrants to the U.S. were 45% less likely to commit violence than third-generation U.S. citizens.[ii]
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Should local police begin enforcing immigration laws, more women and children struggling with domestic violence will avoid police intervention and help.[i] U.S.-born domestic violence victims report their abusers in 1 out of 2 instances; immigrant victims report in 1 out of 4 instances; and undocumented immigrant victims report in just 1 out of 7instances.[iii]
[i] “Enforcing Immigration Law: The Role of State, Tribal and Local Law Enforcement.” International Association of Chiefs of Police. December 2004. p4
[ii] Robert Sampson. “Open Doors Don’t Invite Criminals.” New York Times. March 11, 2006
[iii] House Immigration Subcommittee hearing on NYC executive order 124 on February 27, 2003, http://judiciary.house.gov/media/pdfs/printers/108th/85287.PDF