Pirate's Cove

More Cluebats on Illegal Immigration Saturday

The debate over immigration and questions about who has the right to police the issue was the subject of a Durham City Council work session on Thursday with Durham’s new police chief.

Citizens also showed up in support of a 2003 policy, Resolution 9046, which prohibits police from targeting people solely on their immigration policy. Status isn’t checked unless someone is involved in a serious crime.

Most police departments share the same policy. Investigators say without it, many victims and witnesses in crimes would be afraid to come forward.

Let’s start out with the fact that those same victims and witnesses are criminals. What I want to know is, what are the official statistics on this line of reasoning?  Is there any proof of it? Beuller?

But Councilman and mayoral candidate Thomas Stith says the policy makes Durham a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.

"And that’s the crux of this," he said. "This is not about walking out of this room and seeing someone that doesn’t look like me and you and saying, ‘You’re not supposed to be here.’"

But that’s how dozens of supporters of the resolution saw Stith’s questioning. They said changes to the policy would violate individuals’ civil rights.

They are illegals, in violation of US law, and not citizens nor applying for citizenship. They are not entitled to U.S. civil rights. What they are entitled to is a quick trip back to wherever they came from.

And, of course, Stith is pretty much called a bigot, and they say he is doing this because he is running for mayor. Pandering, if you will. Perhaps. But, at least he is pandering to American citizens who have the right to vote, versus current Durham mayor Bill Bell, who is pandering to people who are not entitled to vote, who do not speak English, and who shouldn’t be her in the first place.