Even though President-Elect Donald Trump made immigration enforcement a centerpiece of his campaign, Tucson's City Council will take a stand against the city enforcing immigration law.
Councilmembers want no part of immigration enforcement.
They fear it will aggravate crime by making people here illegally afraid to report crimes.
"They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists; and some, I assume, are good people," said President-Elect Donald Trump.
That was Donald Trump's stand the day he opened his campaign.
Since then he has said at first he would concentrate on deporting criminals, which is what President Obama did.
Right now, Federal law says being here without a visa is a civil infraction, not a criminal violation.
But Tucson has long resisted enforcing immigration violations and councilmembers like Regina Romero worry a Trump administration will engineer mass deportations.
Now council is considering a resolution declaring Tucson Police will not participate in mass deportations, profile by race, ask about immigration status, enforce Federal immigration law, or bring someone to Federal authorities so they can enforce immigration law.
"We are re-stating our beliefs because of President-Elect Trump," said Tucson City Council Ward 1's Regina Romero. " I believe that we're joining 37 other cities much bigger than us like New York, Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and many others than have reiterated their commitment to human rights and immigrant rights and I don't think we're alone in this. I think we'll cross the bridge when we need to if we need to."
Normally new city actions take effect a month or several months after council approves them, but council regards this as an emergency so it would take effect right away.
