Congratulations are in order for Mayor Annise Parker on her historic victory and becoming Houston’s first openly gay mayor. Despite all headlines around the country after the election, Parker’s victory is not surprising and just proves what I have said previously, Texas is not as conservative as the media make it out to be. Ms. Parker said it best, “I think the rest of America had the wrong impression of Houston.”

While it is true Texas outlawed gay marriage as the media and non-Texas bloggers like to point out, they do so without knowing the history on how the vote came about. Indeed, Parker’s victory shouldn’t be downplayed either. The election did not just put a spotlight on Houston, but as Houston’s local ABC Miya Shay so aptly stated, it “catapulted her to the national political stage.”

I didn’t blog about Houston’s recent city election because already knew I was moving. However, I did keep myself abreast of everything that was happening even after I moved to San Antonio. Parker’s victory can be compared to President Barack Obama’s Democratic primary victory over Hilary Clinton. Put it simply, David slain Goliath.

While I am thrilled for her victory, I also have some reservations. One of Parker’s campaign promises was to fire Houston police chief Harold Hurtt. Seeing the writing is on the wall, Chief Hurtt beat her to the punch by stepping down two days before Parker took office.

The Unchecked Undercurrent of Anger
Flying blow the radar during Houston’s low-key mayoral race was an undercurrent of anger toward immigrants. Right now the loudest voices are winning, and they are not voices of understanding or mercy, but of anger and division.

Leading the charge in linking immigrants as a scourge on Houston is Gary Blankinship, president of the Houston Police Officers Union. Following the shooting of Houston police officer Rick Salter in March 2009, Blankinship openly criticized Chief Hurtt and then Mayor Bill White for defending the City of Houston “sanctuary city” policy, a policy that does not allow officers to question the citizenship status of any person (General Order No. 500-5).

Blankinship’s sentiments reflect the general outrage that began prior to Officer Salter’s shooting. In September 2006 Houston police officer Rodney Johnson was shot to death by an undocumented immigrant the officer had just arrested following a routine traffic stop. Both shootings of law enforcement officers triggered intense criticism by Blankinship, which he expressed in an op-ed published in the Houston Chronicle and American Police Beat.

It is outrageous to learn that, as recently as November of [2008], you were fully aware that thousands of illegal immigrants eligible for deportation – all convicted felons like Joel Alfaro – were slipping through Houston’s jails undetected by federal immigration officials. You rightly noted the city of Houston “can’t deport people;” but isn’t that particularly true if the city policy you have repeatedly defended intentionally discourages our officers from reporting them?

The incidents gave ammunition to those demanding the the city participate in the Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Section 287(g) program, the federal program that grants broad immigration enforcement powers to local law enforcement agencies.

Few would argue against the deportation of felons who commit murder, rape or are violent gang members. However, the current rhetoric used in contemporary immigration is often compared to a hostile invasion. A wave of foreign labor captures US jobs in America itself, leaving burgeoning rates of unemployment, poverty and crime in its wake.

While supporters for 287(g) are quick to say that they are only “against” undocumented immigrants, the truth is local law enforcement forced to determine whether or not that person is in the country legally. It is estimated there are over 47 million Hispanics living in the United States. Of those, 8.5 million live in Texas. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, foreign-born account for 33% of the Hispanic population. Based on these numbers, approximately 67 percent of the entire Latino population of the Texas is native born. As for Houston, the city has the third-largest Hispanic population in the United States. Thus making it likely Latinos targeted by police for race-based immigration enforcement, would most likely to be living in the US legally.

Some of the fault for the anti-immigrant backlash lies with the media. While it is true sensationalized headlines attract people, but it also shapes how and what people think about an issue through the facts and opinions presented in a given story.

A review of immigration related headline news that dominated Houston reflect the underlying ambivalence to the complexity of the immigration issue. The local media’s love of violence and histrionic good guy-vs-bad guy related stories promote a never-ending message: Be afraid, be very afraid. As a result, the public remains profoundly uneducated or deeply misinformed about how the immigration system really works.

Shortly after the Presidential election, the Houston Chronicle ran a three-part series hoping to expose the dangers of the broken immigration system. The Chronicle’s Susan Carroll revealed how hundreds of convicted felons, child molesters, rapists and drug dealers have been released from prison instead of being deported or remain behind bars. No one will argue these immigrants have committed horrific crimes and are a menace to society. However, this is not an argument how current immigration policy is in need of major reform but rather it brought to light the failures in Harris County’s justice system and the state capital sentencing statute.

The Chronicle’s investigative report is just a plethora of stories that contributed to the climate of fear and racial hatred by making a clear distinction between a villain and a victim. Even worse, these stories make it appear that immigrant violent offenders are constantly getting off scot-free, when in fact violent offenders regardless of there citizenship status are released into society. Just recently, HPD arrested longtime sex offender Larry Allen Ricketts for the murder of a Lake Houston woman who was found stuffed into a footlocker.

Ricketts has a lengthy criminal history of violent acts in Harris County dating back to 1987. Convictions for indecency with an 8-year-old girl, a rape during a burglary and an aggravated sexual assault contribute to his status as a “high-risk” sex offender.

Court records also show several assaults and a 2009 child endangerment conviction for striking a woman who fell while holding a 1-year-old.

Ricketts was recently paroled.

Yet the coverage of this horrendous crime did not receive the same amount of coverage of similar crimes committed by immigrant violent offenders. It is for this reason their more public outcry for enforcement only immigration reform than there is for prison reform for a prison system that incarcerates over two million human beings in the United States.

The Campaign for 287(g)
With the current anti-immigrant, it is not surprising Latinos – US citizens and non-citizens alike – are perceived as “illegal” and violent individuals – such as Juan Leonardo Quintero, Jose Jesus Vieyra and Wilfido Joel Alfaro.

One reason for this may be a familiar storyline. In 2008, Media Matters for America, a media watchdog, conducted a study of conservative talk show hosts Lou Dobbs, Bill O’Reilly, and Glenn Beck and reported that the three “served up a steady diet of fear, anger and resentment” against immigrants by harping on “myths” and “urban legends.” One of the most popular themes was the notion of machete-wielding immigrants running amuck.

So it comes as no surprise the debate over whether local law enforcement should enforce federal immigration laws was brought up during Houston’s low key election which frustrated immigration activist.

…the whole 287(g) issue creeping into the race angered me. I wasn’t afraid to criticize Parker and the rest for taking a more punitive approach, rather than use the bully pulpit to demand comprehensive immigration reform in order to strengthen the Houston economy and families. After I realized that neither would take that sort of risk, it became about choosing who I thought would best serve Houston. As the run-off campaigning progressed, I thought that 287(g) would stay out; unfortunately, the Roy Morales mailer and Gene Locke’s “immigration-as-crime” add-on to his TV ad brought it back up.

During the campaign, Mayor Annise Parker said she would sign on, although expressed that police officers should not make it a habit to question ones immigration status during routine traffic stops.

While evidence suggests undocumented immigrants aren’t perpetrating a crime wave in Houston or anywhere else, but Mayor Parker’s reaction is no different from other public officials. According to Steven Camarota, director of research at the Washington-based conservative think tank Center for Immigration Studies: As soon as an immigrant is charged in a high-profile crime, Camarota says, elected officials tend to “run for cover” by backing closer cooperation between police and immigration agents.

Recomendations
If there is one thing anybody takes from this post, I hope it is this section. Throughout the four years I have been part of the blogoshpere, rearly does one find a blog that offers suggestions in public administration. As I enter a Master’s program in Public Administration, I am hoping to add a new dimension to this blog from what I recently learned. This section is based on a review of performance information in hopes of improving decisions on policy design and use of resources.

Long before setting sail to the New World, John Winthrop told his fellow colonists “that we shall be as a city upon a hill–the eyes of all people are upon us.” This famous statement was later used by both President Kennedy and Reagan in their speeches. Now that the election of Mayor Annise Parker has put Houston on the political map, Houston can become the “city on the hill” – the political community fit to be modeled.

A new Administration eager to successfully implement its policy goals has an opportunity to and draw lessons from recent experience about what will be most effective in achieving their priorities. James P. Pfiffner, a George Mason University professor of government and public policy, contends, “the government’s ability to carry out its primary functions depends crucially on capable civil servants, whose effectiveness is intimately tied to the quality of the leadership of the executive branch, that is, presidential appointments.” Houston’s current form of government is no different.

With a strong Mayor-Council form of government, Mayor Parker’s choice of Houston’s new police chief will set the tone for the Houston’s immigrant policy. If Mayor Parker and the new police chief were to listen to HPD Union President Gary Blankinship, immigrants would not be the only one living in fear, but whole Latino community.

There are two basic types of 287g agreement. Blankinship would prefer the city enter into the agreement that would allow HPD to go beyond immigration monitoring and enforcement functions, “Task Force Officers.” This agreement would empower HPD to check the immigration status of individuals they encounter in the course of their routine law enforcement duties. For a community that already fear the police, it would further alienate ethnic communities because this type of agreement would allow overzealous police officers to abuses their power. While one may argue this is paranoia gone awry, Rosalinda Ybanez, President of the Houston Police Organization of Spanish Speaking Officers (O.S.S.O.), also expressed this concern.

The 287g Immigration status program has been a very sore subject for Latinos in Houston. As I asked people their opinions about the program it seems that there is a fear in the Latino community in which they believe that they could be detained for something as simple as a class C misdemeanor Public intoxication arrest in order for an overzealous police officer to be able to have their fingerprints run through a system in order to satisfy his curiosity. Wow, could that happen? Yes it could. As I ponder my position on this subject I remember commenting to my non-Hispanic police partners that I would be offended if I got stopped on a traffic stop and was immediately asked if I was legal here. It started an argument in which I had to hold my emotions back because I really couldn’t articulate why.

As it is, immigration law is already complex and misunderstood. By entering into this agreement, this would empower HPD to enforce complex immigration laws based on rumors and misinformation instead of fact. For example, in his letter to the editor criticizing former Mayor Bill White and Police Chief Harold Hurtt, Gary Blankinship wrongfully stated a fact with very little evidence, “Every year, hundreds if not thousands of illegal immigrants enter Texas in broad daylight thanks to marriage fraud.” Another example, during a conversation with a friend within the police department revealed he was still under the impression an immigrant was given citizenship if they gave birth to a child in the US. All these claims are disputable at best and have largely been proven to be inaccurate, especially the “anchor baby” argument.

Statements made by Blankinship only allow people to continue to mistakenly believe that marriage to someone with US citizenship is a relatively easy and fast way of obtaining permanent residency and other immigration benefits. Despite this persistent fantasy, reality is, it is extraordinarily hard to prove the marriage is a bona fide relationship to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

For this reason, allowing local law enforcement to monitor immigration laws is inherently dangerous.

Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs
Recommended: There are two people who come in mind to serve as either Chair or Senior Community Liaison for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Stace Medellin and Teodoro Aguiluz of CRECEN.

It is evident gaps in knowledge and service provision can present obstacles to successful community revitalization. All of this would have could have been resolved an effective Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. Throughout Mayor White’s term in office, there was little evidence this office existed. Compared to mayors from the country’s largest cities, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles and Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago, Mayor White didn’t seem to have any concern for immigration.

Without proper knowledge, it is easy convince public officials to implement a policy inherently dangerous. This was evident during the Bill White’s term in office. While it was true Bill White was in favor of the 287g program, it was not until he was informed he changed his mind. In an interview, Bill White had said given the wrong information and when he found out, he backed out.

It is not hard to determine who provided former Mayor White false information. Soon after the City Council fell short for allowing to the city to participate in the controversial program, Councilwoman Toni Lawrence told the Houston Chronicle, she tried working “behind the scenes” with Mayor White before talks broke down, which is why she brought it to a vote in city council. This is significant because this is the same councilwoman who felt the child who died in a Houston hospital from H1N1 should not have been treated here because the child was not an American citizen.

Legal System and Language Barriers
Recommended: Developing a policy that builds trust in immigrant communities.

When serving communities that include foreign-born individuals, local police undercut the goal to serve and protect the community when officers attempt to enforce immigration laws. Without realizing immigrants -legal and undocumented – enter this county without a clear understanding of state and local laws, combined with cultural differences, can lead to encounters with law enforcement.

Besides replacing police chief Harold Hurtt, Mayor Parker promised to bring neighborhood-oriented policing into the system. “Neighborhood policing” is a reciprocal policing strategy in which residents and local law enforcement each assume a role in promoting the safety of their communities. The success for this kind of police strategy hinges upon a trust between community residents and law enforcement officials. This trust is often broken when immigrants fear immigration-related consequences for approaching local police.

There is a reason law enforcement officials argue that punitive policies such as 287g agreements decrease the general public safety. Many chiefs of major metropolitan cities found that it detracted from their necessary mission of protecting residents and pursuing criminals. In a 2006 statement from 56 police chiefs, they detailing their concerns that immigration enforcement undermines the effectiveness of community policing strategies, which are built around trust and cooperation between residents and police:

It undermines the trust and cooperation with immigrant communities which are essential elements of community oriented policing… Most local police agencies have adopted policies of not inquiring about immigration status of individuals that are reporting crimes or in other encounters unless the person is suspected of committing a crime. Those policies have developed over the past 25 years because of law enforcement’s commitment to provide protection to everyone within their jurisdiction and more recently because of state and federal laws prohibiting racial profiling.

How can a police department that is already hampered by lack of bilingual officers? For one, Mayor Parker and who ever will be the new police chief should resist jumping at the whims of the anti-immigrant forces, like former Councilwoman Toni Lawrence and Houston Police Officers Union President Gary Blankinship and listen to the recommendations from the 2009 Police Foundation report.

Keeping immigration status out of the discussion is not good policy, it is more humane, as immigrant victims already fear going to the police. Keeping police officers focused on their main job of decreasing crime, will not only increase crime reporting by all residents, but it insure innocent people are racial profiled.

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Tags: 287g, Annise Parker, Bill White, Elections, Houston, Immigration, Texas |  Print This Post |
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