27 police chiefs from some of the nation’s largest cities have signed a brief supporting President Obama’s executive orders that, according to them, will make their job easier because immigrants will be more willing to cooperate if they aren’t afraid of being deported.
From The Arizona Republic
The law-enforcement officers, in their brief, said that the executive action “will improve public safety by encouraging community cooperation with police.” They also said that offering undocumented immigrants the opportunity to have verified, secure identification “aids law enforcement in carrying out its day to day duties.”
Those signing the amicus, or friend-of-the-court, brief include the police chiefs of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia and Denver, and the sheriffs of Dallas County and El Paso County in Texas, among others.
While it’s clear why proponents of the president’s actions support it, it’s not clear why critics do not.
Perhaps I should say it is clear why they’re challenging the president’s orders, but their clear reason is not a valid reason. If there is a valid reason that doesn’t boil down to simple xenophobia and nativist pandering, I’d like to hear it.
The constitutional argument doesn’t appear to hold water and, if we’re being honest, I think we can admit that’s just a cover.
As of today, House Republicans are still threatening the funding for the Department of Homeland Security in an attempt to extort the president into backing down on immigration. I imagine shutting down the department would make the job of a police chief in a major city more difficult.