if local police can't enforce immigration laws which are federal laws why then do they?
966750
Thats a very good question. I think, this being a sensitive issue in many places and with the ACLU and LULAC filing law suits everytime an American city even thinks about taking action, that many local police department have been instructed by higher ups not to get involved.
626975
If illegals are living next to me, then our country's law enforcement really sucks.  Why have any legal process whatsoever if illegals can live and work freely for years to earn anough money to buy a decent house in a good neighborhood.  Why does our government allow them to obtain a bank account, buy a car, get a driver's license, enroll their kids in our schools, etc.  It is unbelievable when you think of how many failures/breakdowns need to occur for illegals to remain in this country for years.
859360
If the Federal government won't enforce the immigration laws, then the cities and states are within their rights to do so.  And they should send any related bills to the Federal government for reimbursement.  Cities/states should start suing the Federal government for not enforcing our immigration laws.
651552
No..they are strict about ILLEGAL immigrants being here and with due reason.
837382
Police officers cannot work in a vacuum.  If they don't have the cooperation from citizens who give them information then it is very difficult to stop many criminals.  Why would you worry about getting arrested if you don't do anything against the law?  It is actually extremely easy to follow the law of the land.  I have lost track of the number of times that in my small town there were several people who knew exactly what was going on in the town in regards to who was doing B&Es but no one wants to get involved.  Police need information and there is no magic way of getting this.  \nAlso,  I spend a lot of time going to calls where people are complaining that their 6 year old is getting beat up by the neighbours 6 yr old or complaints that their neighbour is putting snow in their driveway.  Most police services are extremely understaffed, at least in my part of the world, and it takes many officers and lots of man hours to be effective against the crimes you mention.\nDo you know what the number one complaint I get from people when I meet them?  People speeding in their neighbourhoods.\n\nAs for arresting "good" people? I arrest people when I have reasonable and probable grounds to believe they have committed criminal offences.  Are some of them "good"? Yes I suppose some of them are.  But you can be a great citizen and neighbour and still hit your wife.
992047
look, i grew up in los angeles & have lived in austin texas for the last 20 years. in every city theres a 'china town', 'little mexico', ect. the mexican culture produces goods that enich the community. they are notorious for policing themselves. like any culture, theres always a group that ruins it for the passive. in the usa, policing is insisted upon the state leaving no real enforcement to the neighborhoods out of reach. the only way is for the locals to police themselves, not the government.
864556
Why not just enforce our borders and immigration laws? That would prevent them from returning.
724487
Not only are we correct it is our responsibility.  The laws are there to be enforced.  Someone need to tell the powers that be at the Office of Border Patrol in Washington D.C. in particular Chief David Aguilar to get off his butt and allow his Agents to do their jobs.  He has their hands tied so tight that they are unable to enforce the immigration laws that are currently on the books.  Call his office at 202-344-2050.
518592
According To President Bush In His Speech\n\n "We are a nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws."\n\nTHE FACT IS that there is already a federal statutory framework in place which specifically prohibits the hiring of illegal aliens, which provides record keeping rules to verify an employee’s work authorization and identity, and which provides for monetary sanctions (Fines)to be levied against employers who violate the provisions of the law.\n\nTHE FACT IS that big business, which has provided massive financial support to the Bush Administration, and which benefits from hiring illegal aliens and paying them cheap wages while skirting employer tax and record keeping obligations, does not want “employer sanctions” enforced.\n\nTHE FACT IS that the Bush Administration has had the responsibility for “cracking down on employers who hire illegal aliens” and has failed miserably to enforce existing “employer sanction” laws. \nCAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WHY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION \nHAS ALLOWED THE NUMBER OF FINES AGAINST EMPLOYERS WHO UNLAWFULLY HIRE ILLEGAL ALIENS TO FALL FROM 400 IN 1999 TO ONLY THREE (3) IN 2004?\n\nTHE FACT IS that there are ALREADY laws on the books providing for the deportation of illegal aliens, whether they are simply here illegally, which, of course, is a crime in and of itself, or whether they have committed additional crimes as well.\n\nTHE FACT IS that the Bush Administration has made little or no effort to enforce these laws. Instead, they implemented a “catch and release” policy. \nThis policy allows an apprehended illegal alien to remain free in the United States if that person simply agrees to appear at a court hearing! \nThe results of this policy have been disastrous. \n “Knowing they’re unlikely to be jailed, thousands of immigrants have surrendered to Border Patrol agents, and then have been allowed to continue their journey into America, court summonses in hand,” says T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council.\n There are actually reports of illegal aliens taking taxis from the border to Border Patrol offices to turn themselves in, to be “caught and released” as a way to cross into this country. \nUnder pressure, the Bush Administration has claimed that this policy would be replaced “gradually.” \n\nTHE FACT IS that the Bush Administration’s immigration policies, cannot be taken seriously as an advocate of strict enforcement of immigration laws. \nHe cannot be trusted to support or advance legislative measures to stop the flood of illegal aliens or secure our broken borders.
679147
No.  If they were going to do the right thing, they would allow law enforcement to enforce the laws already on the books.  This is an election year, so the issue once again comes up.
19295
Call the local police department, or the immigration department.
997876
Depends on where you are.  Police are generally local departments governed by local politics.
593064
They have laws there?
651167
They do not have open records acts like our Federal laws.  They are a nation within a nation and have their own set of laws.
97361
It's against the law everywhere in the US.  Federal Law outweighs local or state laws when it comes to weed.
624973
Because society keeps coming up with new reasons to lock people up.  Used to be, two guys get into a fight, the police show up tell everyone to cool off and go home.  Now they are both locked up and must somehow find money for an attorney to defend them against charges of assault, assault with intent, making terrorist threats, etc.  Used to be we had peace officers, now we have law enforcers.  Completely different mindset.  We are a vindictive people who want to see everyone (except ourselves) punished to the fullest extent, for the most petty of infractions.
437273
So there are people in the US that work illegaly, And if someone does something illegal there should be consequences. What about the government choosing not to enforce the law as well as they could? Then in practice we have a law that may or may not be enforced and that is not to blame on illegal immigrants. So now that 9/11 happened people are worried about the borders but the current situation is as much fault of the immigrants as everybody else that let it happen. So everybody needs to pick up the slack.\n\nSo illegal immigrants don't pay taxes. False, they do pay state taxes they just don't pay federal taxes. And they don't do it because they can't because they are illegal. If they were legal they would pay taxes and there would be an even ground for americans and immigrants competing for the same jobs.\n\nThe idea that all mexicans should leave is rather naive. The american and mexican economy would have a crisis. And the US would have an enemy where there used to be a friend. That would not be a smart thing for a leading country to do.\n\nDriving a car with an expired registration is also illegal. The punishment needs to match the offense, and also the backround needs to be accounted for. If law enforcement decided not to enforce a law for years; that also needs to be accounted for. If the US decided to not let anyone else come in (without disregard for human life) that is fine, but after a person has been here for years and has made a life here, that is something else. And let's not shoot ourselves in the foot.