Patrick brings fairness to immigration reform

Dan Devine

Continuing to tackle divisive issues in the early weeks of his administration, Gov. Deval Patrick turned his attention last week to the hotly contested immigration debate with a pair of announcements reflecting an emphasis on common sense governance and adherence to the rule of law.

First, Patrick announced that he would officially rescind the controversial memorandum of understanding signed by outgoing Gov. Mitt Romney that would have added federal immigration law enforcement to the duties of Massachusetts state troopers.

Patrick rejected the policy, saying that the time and effort of state police troopers are better spent working with local communities to combat violence, drug abuse and gun trafficking.

“With all that the State Police have to do to enforce the laws of this Commonwealth, I do not believe that it is either practical or wise to ask them to enforce federal laws as well,” said Patrick. “That is the job of the federal government, and it should be done by the federal government.”

Immigrant communities and communities of color had previously expressed concerns that the agreement Romney signed with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security in December — under which state troopers gained the power to, in the course of regular police duties, detain people they determine are illegal immigrants — could potentially lead to an increase in racial profiling.

According to Ali Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), the immigrant community — which makes up 14 percent of the Massachusetts population and 17 percent of the state’s workforce — breathed a collective sigh of relief upon learning that Patrick was following through on this particular campaign promise.

“It is important that the governor promotes an environment of trust between the immigrant community and the police, regardless of the uniform,” said Noorani. “Victims and witnesses of crime must be able to trust the police. This is especially important for the most vulnerable, like those suffering domestic violence. We must foster a climate of trust so that people can seek help without fear of families being torn apart by detentions and deportations.”

A recent survey conducted by UMass-Boston’s John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies found that large percentages of Latinos (19.5 percent) and blacks (17 percent) reported experiencing discrimination in dealing with the police, while only 1.4 percent of whites and 7.8 percent of Asians polled reported similar experiences.

In a move that may receive less praise from immigrant advocates, Patrick also announced that he had directed Public Safety Secretary Kevin M. Burke to negotiate an agreement between the state Department of Corrections and ICE that will allow specially trained corrections officers in two state detention facilities to perform limited immigration law enforcement functions, including initiating deportment proceedings against convicted criminal illegal immigrants.

While the governor felt that directing state police officers to enforce immigration law would overstep the bounds of good sense, he said, “at the same time, I do believe that convicted criminals housed in our prisons who have violated immigration laws should be turned over to Federal authorities for appropriate handling, including deportation.”

Select corrections officers at the state institutions at Concord and Framingham will receive four weeks of special training from ICE officials that will include immigration law, the scope of their immigration officer authority, civil rights law and federal and international rules regarding the treatment of foreign-born prisoners. State and federal officials will monitor the selected officers and their work.

As part of the agreement, the administration will establish an educational outreach campaign for communities across the Commonwealth that will allow residents to understand how the new program will work, so that families of those inmates who might be affected by this agreement have a full understanding of their rights and responsibilities.

MIRA’s Noorani called Patrick’s second announcement an attempt to “negotiate the difficulties of the broken immigration system.”

“The need to balance security concerns with due process and the rights and needs of individuals and society is the primary reason the country needs a compassionate and comprehensive immigration reform,” he said.