Twelve states filed an amicus brief supporting President Obama’s recent executive action today, and a number of law enforcement officials from around the country did the same, bolstering the fact that Obama’s immigration action is a common-sense practice that has a long history of precedent.
The law enforcement amicus brief was filed by the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association, the Police Executive Research Forum, and 14 police chiefs. They argued that executive action improves public safety by encouraging cooperation between law enforcement officials and immigrant communities, and that blocking it will negatively impact public safety and make it harder for the police to do their jobs. As Melissa Keaney, a staff attorney for the National Immigration Law Center noted in a press release:
No one should play political games with public safety. These law enforcement leaders have stepped forward to say that the deferred action initiative has solid benefits for community policing. The courts, the politicians, and the public should heed the warning of police chiefs that an injunction to block the deferred action will hurt efforts of local police to build trust with community members.
Law enforcement leaders who have joined the amicus include:
Major Cities Chiefs Association, which is a professional association of chiefs and sheriffs representing the largest cities in the United States, serving more than 68 million people.
Police Executive Research Forum, which is a national membership organization of police executives from the largest city, county and state law enforcement agencies dedicated to improving policing and advancing professionalism through research and involvement in public policy debate.
Chief Art Acevedo, City of Austin, Texas, Police Department
Chief Charlie Beck, Los Angeles, California, Police Department
Chief Richard S. Biehl, Dayton, Ohio, Police Department
Chief Chris Burbank, Salt Lake City, Utah, Police Department
Sheriff Mark C. Curran Jr., Lake County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Tony Estrada, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Office
Commissioner William B. Evans, Boston, Massachusetts, Police Department
Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Harris County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Marlin Gusman, New Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office
Chief James Hawkins, Garden City, Kansas, Police Department
Chief Dwight Henninger, Vail, Colorado, Police Department
Chief Michael C. Koval, Madison, Wisconsin, Police Department
Chief Jose L. Lopez Sr., Durham, North Carolina, Police Department
Sheriff Leon Lott, Richland County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Department
Sheriff Bill McCarthy, Polk County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office
Chief Roy W. Minter, Jr., Peoria, Arizona, Police Department
Lieutenant Andy Norris, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office
Chief Kathleen O’Toole, Seattle, Washington, Police Department
Commissioner Charles Ramsey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Police Department
Chief Greg Suhr, San Francisco, California, Police Department
Chief Ron Teachman, South Bend, Indiana, Police Department
Chief Michael Tupper, Marshalltown, Iowa, Police Department
Sheriff John Urquhart, King County, Washington, Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Lupe Valdez, Dallas County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department
Chief Roberto Villaseñor, Tucson, Arizona, Police Department
Chief Robert White, Denver, Colorado, Police Department
Sheriff Richard D. Wiles, El Paso County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office