Mayor And Immigration Attorney Reassure Community On Deportation
BOYLE HEIGHTS (CBSLA.com) — There wasn't an empty seat at the Dolores Mission Parish in Boyle Heights Tuesday night. All eyes were trained on the speakers Mayor Eric Garcetti and senior staff attorney Shiu Ming Cheer of the National Immigration Law Center.
Both told the crowd what they should do if they are worried about deportation under President Trump's new executive immigration order. They also handed out informational pamphlets.
Garcetti and Cheer reassured the community they can trust the LAPD not to act as agents of the federal government.
City officials say the fear of being nabbed by ICE has caused a damaging ripple effect in successfully fighting and solving crimes.
"That means people won't testify, they wont trust going to a police officer to say, 'Hey I know who committed that crime', " Garcetti said.
Earlier Tuesday LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, along with the mayor pointed out that fear may already be taking its hold on victims of crime.
"Sexual assault reporting by the Hispanic community is down 25 percent," Beck said.
Not everyone in local law enforcement is on board with the mayor and chief. L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell has publicly denounced a sanctuary state stance and said it would make us less safe.
Still, on Tuesday, the mayor signed an executive directive saying no city employee or official will cooperate with the federal government in identifying, detaining or deporting illegal immigrants.
