The Chronicle editorial board took the opportunity to skewer Toni Lawrence, Pam Holm and Mike Sullivan for what DosCentavos termed the Sideshow–their attempt to gain votes from the multi-failed immigration policy pronouncements of the GOP.
The council member pushing the effort, District A’s outgoing Toni Lawrence, has been organizing for a possible challenge to Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole. Many political observers saw the move as an attempt to gain support in Eversole’s conservative North Harris County precinct by talking tough on immigration.
Of course, Eversole is running and Pam Holm came in 3rd place in her race for Controller, while we have yet to hear if Mike Sullivan will be announcing for yet another seat.
According to the Chron:
White unveils the city’s involvement in the Secure Communities effort. When the necessary computer links are operational early next month, it will allow city jailers to screen every prisoner for serious offenses using enhanced fingerprinting that’s run through ICE’s Homeland Security database. Houston will have access to the federal computer system through the Texas Department of Public Safety. It will not be available nationwide to local law enforcement until 2013 due to the demand on ICE personnel and computer capabilities.
According to Mayor White, the program will eliminate the cost and commitment of dozens of officers to the training required by 287(g).
“The Secure Communities program is faster and more automated because ICE computers make the identification instead of relying on local resources and the interview process,” says the mayor. “We want something fast and complete that does not require us to take officers off the street who could be solving crimes.”
Most serious violators arrested by HPD are processed through the Harris County jail, which already participates in 287(g). Rather than shifting the burden of enforcing immigration laws to the city, Secure Communities will allow Houston police to quickly access federal databases to determine whether any prisoner has a criminal record.
Sure, it will hopefully be a cheaper program, but for the pro-Migrant community, the work of serving as racial profiling watchdogs continues.
One thing is for sure, Mayoral candidates who are talking about using both programs, as if it is a solution to anything, should basically stop. Although DC does not support either 287(g), nor Secure Communities, at the very least a more responsible approach was taken when it comes to the tight budgets the City is currently experiencing, and Mayor Bill White deserves that much credit.
Ultimately, unless all Democrats running for major offices walk the same line on the immigration issue, we will continue to be in the same political situation. It is time for all candidates to support sensible Comprehensive Immigration Reform that ensures the economic and workforce viability of our City and that ensures family unity. When we have CIR, then we can talk about enforcement.
Heck, if Chuck Norris is coming around…
