SPECIAL ORDER 40 CHALLENGED.Byline: RACHEL URANGA Staff Writer Ahead of the expected filing of a second lawsuit against the LAPD's Special Order 40, the department has come under more pressure to take another look at its stance against asking someone's immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. status. The new lawsuit, which was scheduled to be filed Wednesday by an Orange County attorney and founder of the Web site www.illegalemployers.org, argues that the LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. violates a section of the state health code by not reporting drug offenders to immigration officials. "Police officers were frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: because the department was not letting the officers comply with the law," said David Klehm, representing a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. resident in the suit. "I am not talking about people reporting crimes being affected, I am talking about people committing crimes," he said, characterizing the arrest of illegal immigrants illegal immigrant n. an alien (non-citizen) who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa. (See: alien) as a revolving door that allows them to go in and out of jail. The suit comes as the national debate over immigration has re-ignited, with President George W. Bush this week calling for an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws immigration laws npl → leyes fpl de inmigración immigration laws npl → lois fpl sur l'immigration immigration laws npl . The city already is facing trial in another lawsuit over the order filed by Washington, D.C.-based Judicial Watch. Experts say the highest concentration of America's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants is in Los Angeles, and federal officials recently announced an increased focus on deporting those in jail. Klehm, who quit his job as a medical malpractice Improper, unskilled, or negligent treatment of a patient by a physician, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care professional. attorney last year to target immigration violators, said he was filing the suit only after several LAPD officers contacted him saying they felt stymied by the rule. In the lawsuit, he is citing a government report that found 55,322 illegal immigrants were incarcerated incarcerated /in·car·cer·at·ed/ (in-kahr´ser-at?ed) imprisoned; constricted; subjected to incarceration. in·car·cer·at·ed adj. Confined or trapped, as a hernia. nationally in 2003. Among those, law enforcement officials had made 459,614 arrests. The Los Angeles Police Protective League has not taken a position on the lawsuit, said Eric Rose, a spokesman for the union representing more than 9,000 officers. But some within the department acknowledge that being able to report detainees to immigration officials could provide an important and well-needed crime-fighting tool. But both Police Chief William Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. have been unwavering in their support of the more than 30-year-old policy. "It doesn't preclude us from dealing with the arrest and prosecution of illegal immigrants that are engaged in crime," said Bratton, noting he didn't think the lawsuit had much of a chance. The intent of Special Order 40, he said, was "to encourage illegal immigrants and undocumented or aliens to report to police if they have been victims of crimes or that they were witnesses to crimes." rachel.uranga(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3741 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: LAPD Chief William Bratton, with Jacqui Dreben at the LAPD Valley Communications Dispatch Center, still supports Special Order 40. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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