Native legislation enforcement
Immigration enforcement falls underneath the jurisdiction of federal companies, and the federal authorities doesn’t have direct authority over native legislation enforcement, in keeping with an announcement from the Washington Affiliation of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
“The focus of local law enforcement is on criminal violations that affect local community safety and quality of life,” the assertion says.
Officers from the Vancouver Police Division and the Clark County Sheriff’s Workplace say their officers don’t inquire about folks’s immigration standing throughout interactions or investigations, except it pertains to the crime underneath investigation, equivalent to a hate crime.
Vancouver police Chief Troy Value mentioned folks shouldn’t concern calling 911 due to their citizenship standing.
“I can’t oversell the importance of folks not hesitating to call 911 if they’re looking to report or have been the victim of a crime,” Value mentioned. “We’ve told people, ‘Please call. It doesn’t matter how you arrived in the Vancouver community, our mission is to keep members of the community safe, and that doesn’t come contingent on someone’s documented status in the United States.’ ”
Vancouver police coverage bars officers from utilizing stops for minor offenses as an excuse to ask about somebody’s immigration standing.
Sheriff John Horch mentioned deputies deal with responding to calls and investigating crimes locally.
“We do not ask immigration questions or their citizenship on traffic stops or when we go to calls,” Horch mentioned. “That’s something we’ve never asked, and we don’t ask it if somebody is a victim. We go there, and we help them.”
Native officers are additionally prohibited from arresting or detaining folks based mostly solely on their immigration standing, in keeping with company insurance policies. State legislation additionally prevents native jails from holding folks strictly due to their immigration standing. The Clark County Jail will solely maintain somebody if federal immigration brokers current a warrant for the particular person, signed by a federal decide or Justice of the Peace, in keeping with county spokeswoman Joni McAnally.
Workers on the Clark County Jail are prohibited from sharing info with immigration officers past what’s publicly accessible on the jail roster’s webpage. Immigration brokers may also not be granted entry to any safe areas of the jail facility solely for immigration enforcement. Workers will solely grant federal brokers entry to these areas if the brokers are investigating felony exercise, McAnally mentioned.
State legislation additionally prohibits judges, prosecutors or different courtroom workers from sharing info with federal brokers that isn’t thought-about public. It additionally prevents them from notifying immigration officers, strictly for the aim of immigration enforcement, of an individual attending a courtroom continuing.
Colleges
Officers at most Clark County college districts have mentioned they won’t participate in immigration enforcement.
“We have a constitutional right to education in the state of Washington. We will protect you. We will defend you. And we will get you access to education,” Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Chris Reykdal mentioned at a Jan. 16 media briefing.
Clark County college districts echoed that message.
Vancouver Public Colleges Superintendent Jeff Snell despatched a letter to workers and college students’ households emphasizing that the district won’t ask for nor maintain info relating to a scholar or household’s immigration standing and won’t participate in serving to immigration enforcement in opposition to college students, households, workers or volunteers.
“At Vancouver Public Schools, we want every student and family to feel safe and like they belong,” Snell’s letter said. “To make this happen, our schools must be free of hate, unfair treatment and discrimination.”
Provided that immigration officers have a correct authorized warrant will they be allowed into Vancouver colleges, however the superintendent or district lawyer will overview it first earlier than entry is granted, in keeping with Snell’s letter.
Camas College District Superintendent John Anzalone despatched the same letter to households.
“In our schools, we know how important it is for every student, family, and staff member to feel safe, welcome and included,” Anzalone’s Jan. 22 letter said. “We also understand that national conversations or policy changes, especially those that impact our students’ experiences, can raise real worries for many in our community.”
Evergreen Public Colleges Interim Superintendent Christine Moloney despatched a letter explaining that the district’s insurance policies align with the state superintendent’s Jan. 23 steerage, which clarifies that public colleges should not “deny admission or continuing enrollment to a student on the basis of immigration or citizenship status or treat a student differently to determine their immigration status.”
“Evergreen Public Schools is committed to making sure that all students feel safe, valued and supported,” Moloney’s letter said.
La Middle Superintendent Peter Rosenkranz struck a unique tone in his response to The Columbian’s inquiry.
“(It) could cause unnecessary confusion and detract from our educational mission by politicizing the issue,” Rosenkranz mentioned.
Hospitals
Up to now, Washington hospitals haven’t skilled immigration enforcement actions, in keeping with the Washington State Hospital Affiliation, which represents greater than 100 hospital and well being methods statewide.
A spokeswoman for PeaceHealth — one among Clark County’s largest well being suppliers — mentioned the hospital is legally required to adjust to all state and federal legal guidelines however won’t voluntarily launch any details about a affected person to immigration authorities except required by courtroom order.
Legacy Well being operates six hospitals, a full-service youngsters’s hospital and over 70 medical clinics throughout Portland and Vancouver, together with Salmon Creek Medical Middle.
Legacy Well being didn’t reply by The Columbian’s print deadline relating to its insurance policies on immigration enforcement at its well being services.
Church buildings
Federal brokers are actually capable of arrest undocumented immigrants in church buildings, as soon as thought-about to be protected havens.
In response, faith-based organizations in Clark County have been sharing methods with one another. Some advised The Columbian they’ve created “safe rooms” inside their church buildings as a refuge in case of a raid, whereas others have distributed pamphlets in a number of languages to tell folks of their rights.
On the identical time, many church leaders proceed to reassure their congregations that they’re dedicated to offering safety and assist.
“Churches have gone through this before and you don’t get to do this stuff in God’s building,” mentioned Rev. Linda Marousek, a pastor at one among Vancouver’s Lutheran church buildings.
Some church officers advised The Columbian they’ve attended workshops on what immigration officers can and might’t do. They mentioned they wish to ensure they’re following the legislation but in addition defending their members. Bishop Rick Jaech mentioned the Lutheran church group has additionally begun corresponding with immigration attorneys.
“We are asking for the help of immigration lawyers who can explain — quite precisely — under the new executive orders, what everybody’s rights and responsibilities are so that people have good information,” Jaech mentioned.
Some religion leaders mentioned they’ve noticed a decline in attendance of church providers and fewer folks visiting their meals pantries.
“No matter what, this is a safe space, and anyone is welcome here. We do welcome immigrants — period,” mentioned Rev. Steve King of Vancouver United Church of Christ.
Lutheran Group Providers Northwest, a nonprofit social service company, issued an announcement earlier this week that it stays dedicated to serving to refugees, immigrants and asylum-seekers.
“We believe that every human being, regardless of their country of origin or legal status, is created in the image of God and has inherent dignity and worth,” states a letter signed by six Lutheran bishops. “This foundational truth compels us to approach the issue of immigration with compassion and a commitment to the common good.”
The letter additionally advocates for insurance policies that shield immigrants’ rights, guarantee honest remedy, and supply pathways to citizenship whereas emphasizing the significance of mercy and solidarity.
Jaech mentioned the Lutheran church has welcomed all teams of newcomers for many years and that may proceed.
“Except for those of us who are Indigenous, we are all immigrants, and we all counted on people to help us,” Jaech mentioned. “So we do want there to be effective and just laws on immigration and a good process that really can manage arrivals. But we think it’s important to continue to reach out and help our neighbors — and our neighbors are from around the world.”