Issue of INS in Jails Is Raised Again in Anaheim

Saying that he was through pleading, the leader of an immigrant rights group demanded Tuesday that the Anaheim City Council end a policy that allows immigration agents to question suspects detained in the city’s jail about their citizenship or legal status.

Nativo Lopez, head of Santa Ana-based Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, appeared before the council “to demand that you revoke this racist and unreasonable policy.”

Council members did not respond to Lopez’s demand.

Reading a prepared statement, Lopez charged that Anaheim’s agreement with the Immigration and Naturalization Service has led to “immigrant racial profiling.”

Lopez made a similar demand last month, giving council members 30 days to end the agreement. Instead of setting another deadline Tuesday, Lopez said Hermandad will begin discussing possible civil disobedience.

“This is a long-term organizing drive. We will put before the community the discussion of the viability of noncooperation with Anaheim police,” Lopez said after addressing the council. He said the group will return next month to make the same demand.

Hermandad vowed to have 1,000 protesters at Tuesday’s council meeting. But Fire Department officials said there were about 250. Lopez brought about 100 supporters with him when he addressed the council in February.

Reports of a large turnout prompted Anaheim police to station eight to 10 plainclothes officers at the meeting. But the gathering was peaceful and without confrontations.

Members of a smaller group of counterdemonstrators also addressed the council, supporting the INS presence at the jail.

Steve Eichler also asked the city to review the business license it issued to Hermandad for an Anaheim satellite office. He charged that Hermandad is violating federal immigration laws by advocating for undocumented residents.

“This has nothing to do with race. It has to do with our rights as citizens,” Eichler said.

Anaheim police routinely allow INS agents to question people detained at the jails about their legal or citizenship status. Most suspects held for misdemeanor crimes are turned over to the INS for deportation rather than prosecuted. Suspects in so-called high-level misdemeanor crimes or felonies are prosecuted and deported after serving their sentences.

According to Anaheim Police statistics, 9,475 suspects were detained at the Anaheim Jail in 2000. Of these, 1,363 were determined to be illegal residents by the INS. But it is not known how many were deported or prosecuted.