Council denies an ordinance aimed at curbing illegals
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Daniel Przybyla, 1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13865, dprzybyla@heraldargus.com

LAPORTE -- For now, the city of LaPorte won’t become the first community in Indiana to draft an ordinance that cracks down on illegal immigrants.

After tabling the ordinance following its first reading Dec. 4, the LaPorte City Council voted unanimously Monday to eradicate it.

Members of medical, educational and religious communities opposed to the ordinance emphasized to the council that if it were passed, it could lead to discrimination and racial profiling.

“I’m disheartened because under the guise of illegal immigration, racial bigotry is allowed to live here in LaPorte,” said former El Puente executive director Mario Rosa.

The proposed ordinance called for forming a five-person group, known as the Illegal Immigration Enforcement Committee, appointed by the mayor and approved by the council, which would investigate reports of illegal aliens, establish a hotline for residents to report illegals, and hold a public meeting once a month to discuss issues pertaining to illegal immigrants. The ordinance also called for training two city police officers to enforce federal immigration laws locally.

LaPorte City Police Chief Julie Smith said the ordinance would have been impractical to implement within her department. Not only would the cost of training officers have fallen to the city, she said, but the five-week training period for officers would have left the department woefully short of manpower for an extended period of time. Additionally, she said, officers acting under the ordinance would have been required to verify citizenship for each and every citation issued.

That the ordinance was even introduced, said Rosa, gives the impression that “bigotry stands behind the city maple leaf.”

Rev. David Kime, a priest at St. Joseph Catholic Church who ministers to Hispanics throughout LaPorte County, read a letter from Indiana’s bishops about the need to uphold human dignity.

“(Hispanics) are some of the hardest-working, most generous and family-centered people,” he said.

Sen. Richard Lugar, at the request of LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris, even chimed in on the issue. In a letter to Morris, Lugar said while federal immigration law needs to be reformed, “there are serious questions about the effectiveness and appropriateness of the enforcement proposals before the council.”

Councilman Tim Stabosz, who introduced the ordinance at the request of LaPorte resident Mike Strauss, said the essence of the ordinance should not be ignored.

“Does the fear of racial profiling mean a city cannot do anything about illegal immigration? No. This undermines the rule of law,” Stabosz said.

Strauss, who acknowledged the ordinance needs revamping, said he nonetheless intends to continue the fight to hold illegals in the county accountable.

Crackdown on illegals could resurface in LaPorte

By Stan Maddux, For The News-Dispatch

LaPORTE - Police in LaPorte will not go after illegal immigrants but Councilman Tim Stabosz, who proposed rooting them out, said he plans to keep the issue under the spotlight.

On Monday night, the LaPorte City Council voted unanimously against an ordinance that would have authorized police to find illegal immigrants and detain them for possible deportation by the federal government.

Before the decision, Mario Rosa, former director of the El Puente Center in LaPorte, was among a long line of residents who were mostly against the measure.

“Perhaps LaPorte should be known as the city with maple trees with a bigot behind every one of them,” said Rosa, whose words played upon LaPorte's nickname, The Maple City.

“That breaks my heart. There are good people here. You have a small minority that is speaking on behalf of the silent majority,” Rosa said.

Despite public opposition, Stabosz said he'll consider revamping the ordinance to see if changes would drum up more council support. He said the lack of action by the federal government and its impact on local communities such as overburdened hospitals and schools, along with declining neighborhoods, is worth trying to do something.

In response to people who feel immigration enforcement rests with the federal government, Stabosz said, “the federal government has not done anything. Will they do anything in the next five years? That's a legitimate concern.”

Stabosz tailored the ordinance after one adopted in Hazelton, Pa., one of a handful of communities across the country empowering police to enforce immigration laws, a practice that has resulted in litigation. Under the ordinance, police would have to inquire about the immigration status of anyone stopped for a violating the law.

A hotline for people to report suspected illegal alien activity to be investigated by police was also included.

Hispanics, including legal residents, feared such a measure would have made them prone to racial profiling.

Residents who spoke took strong exception to claims that an influx of Hispanics takes a heavy financial and social toll, including the Rev. Dave Kime of St. Joseph's Church in LaPorte. He said that judging by his 10 years of experience working closely with the Hispanic community, “They are some of the most hard working, industrious, generous and family-centered people I have ever worked with.”

“The law is the law. That's all we're asking for is for the law to be enforced,” said LaPorte resident Mike Strauss, who approached Stabosz about doing something locally about illegal immigration