Congress is considering a new mandate at state and local governments, by requiring local police to add federal immigration law enforcement to their already long list of responsibilities.

BACKGROUND:

Representative Charles Norwood (R-GA) has introduced the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act, H.R. 2671. This bill requires state and local police to enforce federal, civil immigration laws. This means that local police would now be charged with investigating students who have dropped from full-time to part-time status, individuals who have remained in the U.S. longer than the date on their tourist visa allows, or businesses that have hired immigrants without legal papers..

POSSIBLE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THIS LAW:

Not only will this shift in priorities mean local police have less time for their main missions (crime-solving and prevention), but it will actually make their job much harder.

The local police budgets do not allow them to increase their workload further.

When immigrants begin to see local police as agents of the federal government, with the power to deport them or their family members, they are less likely to approach local law enforcement with tips on crimes or suspicious activity.

Such laws would make the immigrant victims silent: No police officer wants to know that criminals are on the loose simply because their victims are afraid to speak up and report the crimes

Such laws can give very significant powers to Local Police officials thus placing immigrant communities to be always under a fear, even if there “paperwork” is perfectly legal. People could be asked to show their paperwork like green cards, passports etc at any time and could be imprisoned, detained, deported if no proof is readily available.

POSITION:

PAKPAC supports legal immigration, and the importance of protecting our homeland. However, like many Police officers unions across the country are opposed to such a law which has negative impacts mentioned above.

ACTION REQUEST:

Request your Member of Congress today by the following Link:

http://www.pakpac.net/action3.asp

PLUS

Special letters to

Letters to Judiciary Chair James Sensenbrenner (R-WI),
sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov

Appropriations Committee Chair Bill Young (R-FL),
Bill.Young@mail.house.gov

Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL),
dhastert@mail.house.gov

Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
http://www.majorityleader.gov/CONTACT.ASP?a=form

and Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) would also be helpful.

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Send your own letter or cut and paste the following letter.

Honorable Member of Congress,

I am writing this letter to request you to oppose H.R. 2671, The CLEAR ACT.

This act can seriously compromise the security of all Americans. Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, state and local police nationwide have had to respond to new homeland security mandates while seeing their staff dwindle due to budget crises.

This law will shift the priorities of local police giving them less time for their main missions (crime-solving and prevention), but it will actually make their job much harder. Any experienced policeman knows that when immigrants begin to see local police as agents of the federal government, with the power to deport them or their family members, they are less likely to approach local law enforcement with tips on crimes or suspicious activity. No police officer wants to know that criminals are on the loose simply because their victims are afraid to speak up and report the crimes.

We join the following

Police Departments (Partial List only)

Des Moines IOWA Police Department,

Boston, MA Police Department

Lenexa, KS Police Department

South Tucson, AZ Police Department

Newark, CA Police Department

North Miami Beach Police Department

And

National and Regional Police Department Associations: ( Partial List)
Hispanic American Police Department Association

Federal Hispanic Police Department Association

California Police Chief Association
Police Benevolent Association

And

Many local State and Town governments

For a detailed list please click on the link

To urge you to say NO to this and similar laws.

Sincerely,