September 3, 2009

Tanya Golash-Boza: How Immigration Enforcement is Weakening National Security

The Problem With Section 287(g)
How Immigration Enforcement is Weakening National Security
By TANYA GOLASH-BOZA

When local police officers collaborate with immigration law enforcement, communities are not made safer. Tensions between police officers and community members increase, as does the distrust people feel towards law enforcement.

Unfortunately, Section 287 (g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows local law enforcement officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions, is being adopted in communities across the country. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division of the Department of Homeland Security describes 287(g) on their webpage.

ICE officials argue that collaboration between local and immigration law enforcement is important because it gives police officers "necessary resources and latitude to pursue investigations relating to violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling and money laundering." In theory, inter-agency collaboration could enhance national security. In practice, the adoption of 287 (g) decreases local-level security.


Tanya Golash-Boza: How Immigration Enforcement is Weakening National Security

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