Judicial Watch Sues Pasadena Police Department
By Terry Miller
Published: Friday, July 30th, 2010
The watchdog group Judicial Watch is suing the Pasadena Police Dept for Records Detailing Illegal Alien Sanctuary Policy.
Staying with the topic of illegal immigration Judicial Watch has launched a nationwide campaign to enforce our nation’s immigration laws. So while they push forward with critical litigation in Arizona, they also keeping our eye on other illegal immigration hotspots around the country, like Pasadena according to their website.
Judicial Watch filed an open records lawsuit against the Pasadena Police Department (PPD) and acting PPD Police Chief Christopher Vicino to obtain documents related to the department’s alleged illegal alien sanctuary policy.
The watchdog group has requested the documents under the California Public Records Act:
“Any and all records of PPD’s policies, procedures, or directives concerning, regarding, or relating to undocumented (illegal) aliens.
Any and all records of PPD’s policies, procedures, or directives concerning, regarding or relating to contacts or communications between PPD officers or employees and federal immigration officials regarding a person’s immigration status.”
To date Judicial Watch has not received any documents, and the PPD has given no indication if or when a response is forthcoming.
Why did Pasadena suddenly appear on Judicial Watch’s radar screen?
According to a May 16, 2010, issue of the Pasadena Star News commenting on the PPD’s illegal immigration policy: “[Vicino] said that the Pasadena Police Department has the policy of not asking about anybody’s legal status unless it is a matter of national security.”Judicial Watch, this type of sanctuary policy, which is far too prevalent across the country, is likely in direct violation of federal immigration law, which states:
Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal, State, or local law, a Federal, State, or local government entity or official may not prohibit, or in any way restrict, any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, Immigration and Naturalization Service (now Immigration and Customs Enforcement) information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, or any individual.
In other words, you can’t have local police departments going rogue, and deciding to ignore federal immigration law, no matter the reason.
But tell that to the police departments in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Washington, DC, and all of the other illegal alien sanctuary cities we’re currently investigating.
And tell that to the Obama Justice Department.
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