Local authorities support DACA in court
Law enforcement officers file brief in lawsuit saying program helps protect communities
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and other law enforcement officers filed a brief in federal court Friday in support of a lawsuit that aims to keep Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals intact despite President Donald Trump’s intent to dismantle the program that protects young immigrants.
Law enforcement agencies argue in the brief that some undocumented immigrants fear interacting with police and by keeping the DACA program it will help police “better fight crime” and “serve all those whom they are charged with protecting.”
The DACA program, initially enacted in 2012 by former President Barack Obama, protects almost 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children from deportation. Trump announced in September that the program would end. ‘Trust and cooperation’
The brief details why DACA encourages undocumented immigrants to interact with police and report crime. The law enforcement officers are supporting a lawsuit filed by Microsoft and Princeton University in November against the Trump administration.
“Trust and cooperation are essential to public safety, and sound police work is undermined when undocumented immigrants fear interacting with law enforcement,” the brief states. “This fear, moreover, leaves undocumented immigrants more vulnerable to crime and exploitation, leading to more violence in the communities that amici are charged with protecting.”
Statistics show that roughly 60 percent of DACA recipients said they had less fear of law enforcement and were more apt to report a crime now than prior to getting DACA status, according to the brief.
Acevedo announced in April that there was a decrease in Hispanics reporting rape and violent crimes compared to last year.
“When you see this type of data, and what looks like the beginnings of people not reporting crime, we should all be concerned,” Acevedo said during the news conference at HPD headquarters. “A person that rapes or violently attacks or robs an undocumented immigrant is somebody that is going to harm a natural-born citizen or lawful resident.”
Both current and former officers are involved in filing the brief and represent law enforcement agencies from Utah, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, Arizona and other states. Identification source
The brief also discusses how the DACA program helps law enforcement officers have access to identification such as federal employment authorization documents.
For example, when an officer pulls over someone who doesn’t have a license or other type of identification, they might have to arrest the person so they can get fingerprints, according to the brief.
DACA also helps law enforcement to protect undocumented immigrants from crimes, stating that some are vulnerable to abuse from employers and domestic and gang violence. But some might be afraid to report their crimes to law enforcement.
“In short, should DACA recipients lose their work authorizations and once again fear removal from the United States, their lack of status will embolden exploitative employers and criminals alike and thus diminish the safety of entire communities,” the brief states.