Council member defends chief on immigration enforcement

Gary Nelson

The Arizona Republic
Jan. 5, 2008 12:00 AM

The Mesa City Council, led by Tom Rawles, has rallied around Police Chief George Gascón in the face of nationwide criticism over his department's policy on immigration enforcement.

Gascón has been attacked in particular for his department's handling of cases involving two police officers embroiled in recent immigration-related controversies.

After Gascón spent almost an hour Thursday briefing the council on Mesa's improving crime and traffic-safety numbers, Rawles rose up in defense of the chief.

"The first thing that needs to be laid to rest is the illusion that we are a sanctuary city," Rawles said. "It's pretty clear that we're not. . . . We are very aggressive in our pursuit of criminal behavior that goes on in this city, including violation of the federal immigration laws."

But Rawles said the City Council has told Gascón "to draw a couple of lines." It is city policy, Rawles said, not to ask immigration status of crime victims and witnesses. Also, the council has decided not to seek federal immigration training for regular patrol officers because doing so would divert officers from more important crime-fighting duties.