Roundabout enforcement wrong

I am disturbed by local law enforcement’s practice of calling Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents for “interpretation services” during routine traffic stops of certain individuals. Not only does it amount to racial profiling in violation of federal law, this practice, absent any agreement between police and CBP, is a roundabout way for police to expose those suspected of being in the country without authorization to an agency that has jurisdiction over determining whether or not this is so. This can lead to detention and deportation.

While CBP agents are “only doing their job,” this practice results in the fracturing of families and communities. What’s more, such practices instill fear of the police in the immigrant communities targeted, which means crimes go unreported. Immigrant communities are thus targeted for crime. Such encouragement of criminal activity impacts us all.

We cannot remove those in the country without authorization and not expect there to be some negative impact on us all in the process. If our goal is to solve our national immigration problem, we need realistic approaches that take into account the question of why people enter the country without authorization in the first place.

Gregory Cunningham

Spokane Valley