Arizona: Latino Fears About Phoenix Police Policy Subside

[Harold Schiffman]

Latino Fears About Phoenix Police Policy Subside
December 7th, 2007 @ 7:35am
by Sandra Haros/KTAR

Initial panic in the Latino community over a change in Phoenix Police
policy on illegal immigrants has subsided, according to a talk show
host for 1190 AM Spanish Language Radio. Saul Sanz said Latinos' first
reaction to Mayor Phil Gordon's plan -- to give police officers more
freedom in contacting federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agents about criminal suspects -- was that ``now, the police are going
to be asking them for their documents, which is not true."  Sanz said
city officials ``actually explained to our listeners that they haven't
decided what to change, or not to change, with this proposition. We'll
have to wait until next year to actually understand what's going to
happen with this proposition from the mayor."  Arizona's employer
sanctions law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, is probably the issue of
most concern right now, Sanz said.
``If I had to do a percentage about concern in the community, I would
say 80 percent goes for the new employer sanctions law starting next
month than concern for the mayor's proposal," he said.

The employer sanctions law sets tough penalties for businesses that
knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, a four-member panel
continues working on recommendations for a new Phoenix Police policy.
Gordon named former U.S. attorneys Paul Charlton and Jose Rivera,
former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods and former Maricopa County
Attorney Rick Romley to study the issue and come up with a plan by the
end of the year. In the past, police have been banned from asking
people they stop for alleged violations about their citizenship
status.


-- http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=666456
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