Immigration Enforcement by Local Police: The Impact on the Civil Rights of Latinos

Summary

This document points out how new policies that would allow local police departments to enforce federal immigration law may actually hinder terrorist and other criminal investigations, and are having a serious negative impact on Latino communities.

Description

Enforcement of immigration laws has always been the responsibility of the federal government. However, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Department of Justice initiated new counterterrorism policies, one of which has been to enlist state and local law enforcement officers in antiterrorist activities. While the safety and security of the United States is a priority, this document points out how new policies that would allow local police departments to enforce federal immigration law may actually hinder terrorist and other criminal investigations, and are having a serious negative impact on Latino communities. The report also documents how involving local police officers in federal immigration enforcement contradicts decades of federal case law and policy, and how delegation of immigration authority is likely to result in racial profiling, police misconduct, and civil rights violations. The publication also points out that such efforts erode trust between local police and the communities they serve and protect.