Houston officer's killing sparks anger over immigration policy

Monday, September 25, 2006

(9/25/06 - HOUSTON) -- Just hours after it became known that the accused killer of a Houston police officer was an illegal Mexican immigrant, top city officials braced themselves for another round of criticism of the city's policies toward illegal immigrants.

Houston police officer Rodney Johnson was shot four times in the head during a traffic stop last week. Investigators say Juan Leonardo Quintero, a Mexican national living in the United States illegally has confessed to killing Johnson, a father of five. Quintero had been deported once and crossed the border illegally again.

U.S. Rep John Culberson, R-Houston, reminded the public Monday of his efforts to cut off federal law-enforcement funds to the Houston Police Department if it refused to change its "sanctuary policy."

Since 1992, the police department has barred officers from asking people who aren't under arrest about their immigration status. The order also prohibits them from arresting people solely based on suspicion that they are in the country illegally. Police do check the immigration status of those arrested on Class B misdemeanor or more serious charges.

Congressional candidate Shelley Sekula-Gibbs called on Houston Mayor Bill White to immediately revoke the policy, which she said "protects the illegal criminal instead of protecting the citizens."

But White's administration, long accustomed to criticism of the policy from conservative politicians and talk radio hosts, said the city will not change its policy and blamed federal officials for failing to protect the U.S.-Mexico border.

Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt has said repeatedly that Johnson's killing has nothing to do with the city's policy regarding illegal immigrants and everything to do with the federal government's failure to secure the border with Mexico.

"If the government fulfilled their responsibility of protecting the border, we would not probably be standing here today," Hurtt said soon after the shooting. Quintero had been deported in 2004 after being granted deferred adjudication on a charge of indecency with a child.

Had the federal government been able to secure the border, Hurtt said, "It would have been very difficult, if not impossible, for that individual to get back in this country."

Sekula-Gibbs, a Houston city councilwoman running a write-in campaign for the seat vacated by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, said Hurtt "must take responsibility for his actions. Finger pointing doesn't help. That attitude (towards inquiring about immigration status) has gotten us into this terrible situation. What is the problem with enforcing these laws?"

Sekula-Gibbs' position on the issue has hardened considerably since she became a candidate for Congress. During a similar City Council debate on the policy in November, Sekula-Gibbs accused a colleague wanting to abandon the policy of a "political stunt" and told the Houston Chronicle she had no "strong opinion" about changing the police department's sanctuary policy.

Culberson, however, has consistently identified border security as one of his top issues, and he warned Monday that Houston, Dallas and Austin stand to lose millions of dollars in federal grants if they don't change their policies.

Culberson's amendment to the House appropriations bill would block all federal grants to any city not specifically allowing law enforcement officers to question anyone they stop about their citizenship status. Culberson said he would suggest that everyone stopped should be asked about their status to avoid racial profiling accusations. From there, he said, "It's Law Enforcement 101. We trust the officers to use their good judgment."

The White administration sees Culberson's bill as the ultimate unfunded mandate, cutting off badly needed federal law enforcement money to force the city's hand, White spokesman Frank Michel said.

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