LA police chief for reform; not 287(g)

Chief William Bratton says passing immigration reform will make "every American neighborhood much safer."

Bratton, one of the most well-known police chiefs in the country, writes in a Los Angeles Times op-ed this morning that he opposes the federal 287(g) program that allows local law enforcement to double as federal immigration agents. He says the program stops immigrants from reporting crimes for fear of being deported.

It’s an interesting move for the outgoing police chief to insert himself into such a controversial debate. He will take some heat for his stance. Bratton, also the former police chief in Boston and New York, has never shied away from the spotlight. He once considered politics in New York, but he told LA Weekly this spring that he wasn't planning to run for office. He has since put his $1.8 million home up for sale and may be moving to Great Britain for a job at Scotland Yard, according to the Times.

He certainly picked a good time for making a big splash. The immigration debate is only expected to pick up as the White House prepares its strategy to pass comprehensive immigration reform next year.

In his column, Bratton also responds to queries about why he didn’t join 287(g) like many other law enforcement agencies. He says the program damages the trust police have with immigrants.

The 287(g) program is run in Charlotte. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff was one of the first to join the program back in 2006. Critics say the program is more often used to nab minor offenders, but it should be noted that the Mecklenburg program is operated in the jail and deputies are not out searching for illegal immigrants – as is the case in some other major cities.

“We must pass immigration reform and bring our neighbors out of the shadows so they get the police service they need and deserve,” Bratton says. “When officers can speak freely with victims and witnesses, it goes a long way toward making every American neighborhood much safer.”

ESPN needs work on Latino stereotypes

An ESPN announcer is apologizing after joking that Colombian-born NASCAR racer Juan Pablo Montoya was "out having a taco."

During a promo for NASCAR that highlighted the top five drivers, ESPN analyst Bob Griese responded to Chris Spielman's query, "Where's Juan Pablo Montoya?"

"He's out having a taco," said Griese.

A taco? A taco?

As Seth Meyers would say on “Saturday Night Live, “Really? Really?!”

Why couldn’t he have said an empanada? Or Ajiaco stew?

Not many tacos in Colombia. I guess some people may have not gotten the intent of the joke, but I think we should raise the bar a little bit on the humor scale. There are plenty of other ways to poke fun at Colombian stereotypes that you don’t have to go steal them from other countries.

Griese later apologized.

Montoya didn’t think twice about the comment. He played along.

"I don't really care, to tell you the truth," Montoya said. "Yeah, I don't. I could say I spent the last three hours eating tacos, but I was actually driving a car. But that's OK, I don't care."

I’m sure he’s heard much worse and will continue to do so.

Update: Griese has been suspended for one game for the remark towards Montoya, network officials confirmed Monday. Click here for the story.

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

'Illegal Alien' costume goes viral

By now, you've probably seen one of the many stories about the controversial 'illegal alien' costume that has drawn the ire of immigrant rights groups. The story has been covered in most major news outlets, including the Washington Post, USA Today, CNN, MSNBC, among others.

The costume is an orange jumpsuit with the words "ILLEGAL ALIEN" on the front, a space alien mask and a plastic green card. There is also an alternative mask of a space alien with a droopy black mustache.

Target was one of many retailers that pulled the costume from its website and apologized following complaints. The NC-based Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, which advocates for greater immigration enforcement, meanwhile called on supporters to go out and buy the costume as a statement to “stand up to censorship.”

Richard Zagone, a Chicago mask designer, told USA Today he was trying to be ironic when he and his brother came up with the idea. Little did he know the stir he’d create when people started complaining about the costumes being sold on major retailer websites like Walgreens, Amazon and others.

Most quit selling the costume after complaints by groups such as Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, whose director called the costume "distasteful, mean-spirited, and ignorant of social stigmas and current debate on immigration reform."

Joshua Thomas, a spokesman for Target, told the Associated Press, that the stores never intended to sell the outfit but included it in its online offerings by mistake, he said.

William Gheen, executive of ALIPAC, put a costume on eBay, according to USA Today. Bids went to $116 before eBay pulled it.

"This is a spooky Halloween because, apparently, I no longer live in a country of free markets, free speech or free political expression," Gheen said.

You can still pick up the costume in Charlotte. According to Fox Charlotte, Morris Costumes on Monroe Road has seen a surge of sales of the costume since controversy spread.

Owner Philip Morris told Fox he hasn’t had any negative feedback yet and continues to sell the illegal alien gear.

"It's all in a sense of humor, we're looking at our own selves and laughing," Morris said.

(AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Charlotteans featured in 'Latino in America' series

Bill and Betty Garcia are part of CNN's two day, four-hour documentary that debuts tonight and runs through tomorrow.

‘Garcia’ now ranks among the top 10 among last names in America.

Bill, former executive director of the International House, is Puerto Rican and Betty is Dominican. They moved from their Latino neighborhoods in New York to Charlotte 15 years ago for more affordable living and escape the grind of big city life.

But now they worry they made a wrong decision. They fear by living in Charlotte their sons are not getting the same Latino experience they had growing up in New York.

The show starts at 9 p.m. Click here to see excerpts from the Garcia's interviews.

Photo: CNN

Charlotte painter named Latino of Year

Charlotte painter Edwin Gil joins Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and NASA Astronaut José Hernández as national Latinos of the Year.

Gil was among a list of Latino politicians, journalists, engineers, chefs, and artists honored by the Spanish language wire service EFE for their success and contributions to the Latino community this year.

Gil, one of the most well known Latino artists in Charlotte, has gained national and international notoriety for his work on a 70- by 30- foot mural aimed at uniting displaced Colombians living around the world. Using the colors of the Colombian flag, more than 8,000 Colombians have put their hand prints on the mural in a sign of unity. Gil himself is a displaced Colombian. He moved to North Carolina after he was kidnapped at gun point in Medellin, Colombia and spent the night locked in the trunk of a car. That experience changed his life, led him to leave his home country, and later become a painter. At a ceremony in Boston this summer, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe met with Gil to present him with a national award.

In August, Sotomayor became the first Latina named to the Supreme Court. Astronaut Hernández is a former migrant worker who last month returned from a two-week space mission aboard shuttle Discovery to make repairs to the International Space Station. He later took a rare public stand for a U.S. astronaut when he said the country needs to give illegal immigrants a path to legalization.

Photo: DAVID T. FOSTER III - dtfoster@charlotteobserver.com

Congressman outlines plan for immigration reform

U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat, presented his vision for a new comprehensive immigration reform bill Tuesday at a rally on the west lawn of the United States Capitol.

He spoke in front of thousands of immigrants who came to the capitol to calling for comprehensive immigration reform. He plans to introduce a full bill in the coming weeks.

His proposal focuses on a path to legalization for illegal immigrants, but also includes proposals for protecting immigrant workers, better employee verification systems, and stronger border enforcement.

“We need a bill that says if you come here to hurt our communities, we will not support you, but if you are here to work hard and to make a better life for your family, you will have the opportunity to earn your citizenship,” Gutierrez said. “We need a law that says it is un-American for a mother to be torn from her child, and it is unacceptable to undermine our work force by driving the most vulnerable among us further into the shadows.”

Critics say Gutierrez’s proposal amounts to an amnesty proposal for those who broke American laws.

"Amnesty sends a message that you’re a sucker to play by the rules," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which promotes stronger immigration enforcement, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

Congressman Gutierrez released on his website the following outline of the core principles that he will use in his reform bill:

– Pathway to legalization for illegal immigrants
– Effective border enforcement
– Humane interior enforcement
– Protecting immigrant workers
– Stronger verification systems
– Family unification
– Updated visa system
– Agriculture jobs
– Access to college for undocumented students

Photo: Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., speaks at a rally for immigration reform on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Commissioner's request for investigation of undocumented students denied

The Mecklenburg County attorney will not investigate whether the county is vulnerable to a lawsuit for subsidizing the education of illegal immigrants at Central Piedmont Community College unless directed by the full board of commissioners, County Manager Harry Jones said today.

That is not likely to happen.

And in response to a request from Commissioner Bill James, commission Chairwoman Jennifer Roberts stated in an e-mail that she did not plan to seek an opinion from the Department of Homeland Security on this issue.

“In addition, since out of state tuition is greater than the per pupil cost of educating students at CPCC, those few undocumented immigrants who might be able to afford it will be subsidizing the education of other students,” she wrote.

We reported last week that James wants illegal immigrants to pay an additional county fee to attend CPCC. He said he’s concerned the county may otherwise be vulnerable to lawsuit based on a federal statute that prohibits illegal immigrants from being eligible "for any State or local public benefit."

The county gave CPCC $41 million for operational and construction budgets. Last month, the State Board of Community Colleges approved a new policy that will allow illegal immigrants to attend any of North Carolina's 58 community colleges, provided they graduate from a U.S. high school, pay the higher out-of-state tuition, and do not displace legal residents from classes. The new policy won't take effect until next academic year, at the soonest, pending administrative review.

James argues the state gets around the “public benefits” liability question because illegal immigrants will be required to pay ‘out-of-state’ tuition, which exceeds the cost to the state and therefore is not a subsidy.

But, James says, unlike the state, the county doesn’t require repayment via tuition. He says unless CPCC charges illegal immigrants for that subsidy the county would be breaking the law.

James accused Roberts of “taking an ostrich approach of ‘don’t ask as we don’t want to know,’” but that he did not plan to force the issue by putting it on the commission agenda.

“I think this is not the best approach because it will create animosity and bring out folks on both sides, something that can’t accomplish much except ratchet up tension on an issue that already has way too much,” James wrote in an email.