El Tecolote Vol. 45 Issue 14

Page 1

Celebrating

FREE//GRATUITO

45 years

of community journalism

Published by Acción Latina Julio 16-29, 2015

Vol. 45 No. 14

Community rallies amid backlash against SF’s sanctuary policy Comunidad unida contra ataques hacia ciudades santuario Alexis Terrazas Alexis Terrazas

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he crowd that gathered on the steps of City Hall on July 14 was there to pray for Kathryn “Kate” Steinle—the 32-year-old woman killed by an undocumented Mexican national and convicted felon— and to hopefully begin a rational dialogue with those blaming San Francisco’s immigration policies for her death. “None of us want this tragedy to happen again,” said immigrant rights organizer Kitzia EstevaMartinez. “And we understand that protecting public safety goes hand in hand with protecting the constitution and protecting immigrant rights.” Bill Hing, a law professor at USF and founder of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, said his heart sank when he heard the news of the shooting; he has two daughters close to Steinle’s age. “As hard as it may be for some observers to accept, it wasn’t the San Francisco policy that was at fault here,” he said, explaining that the city’s “Sanctuary City” and “Due Process for All” ordinances were actually designed to make the city safer by fostering trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities. “The Due Process Ordinance is about public safety, and San Francisco is a safer place now … police officials across the country understand that in order to engage in true public safety, you need the trust of the entire community.” National debate Steinle’s death made national headlines and has fueled various media pundits, journalists, politicians and police agencies in their attacks against San Francisco’s immigration policies. As the dispute over who was at fault in releasing Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, the man accused of killing Steinle, has continued to intensify, San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi attempted to defend his department’s position of following the law. “I find it incredibly sad and incomprehensible that this tragedy is being used as a platform for political gain,” Mirkarimi said at the beginning of the July 10 press conference. “We want to set the record straight.” The sheriff, however, had little success in doing so. As Mirkarimi, who is up for reelection this November, was grilled by roughly a dozen local, regional and national reporters, he detailed the sheriff’s department’s chronology of events leading to up to the shooting. Senator Dianne Feinstein blasted Mayor Ed Lee and Mirkarimi for releasing a convicted (though non-violent) felon for whom the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) had made a detainer request. Lee countered with his own statement, calling into question the “common sense” of the sheriff ’s department for their lack of communication with other law enforcement agencies. “The mayor is throwing his

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Una conferencia de prensa y oración se llevan a cabo en las escalinatas frontales del ayuntamiento en honor de Kathryn Steinle, quien recibió un balazo fatal durante una caminata por el Muelle 14. A press conference and prayer was held on the front steps of San Francisco City Hall in honor of Kathryn Steinle, who was fatally shot while taking a walk on Pier 14 on July 1. Photo Alejandro Galicia Un homenaje para Kathryn Steinle el 14 de julio, en el Muelle 14 en San Francisco. Steinle recibió un disparo en el pecho y luego falleció en el Hospital General de la ciudad. A memorial is set out for Kathryn Steinle, July 14, at Pier 14. Steinle was struck in the chest by a bullet at the waterfront and later died at San Francisco. General Hospital. Photo Santiago Mejía

own law under the bus, simply trying to walk or run away from the very ordinance he signed into effect,” Mirkarimi said, referring to Lee’s Due Process for All Ordinance. San Francisco’s “City and County of Refuge” Ordinance (also known as the “Sanctuary Ordinance”), which was established in 1989 and reaffirmed in 2007 by then mayor Gavin Newsom, prohibits city employees from aiding ICE agents in

arresting or investigating undocumented immigrants. The Due Process for All Ordinance, which was passed by the board of supervisors and signed into law by Mayor Lee in Oct. 2013, prohibits city and county law enforcement officials from detaining individuals on the basis of a civil immigration detainer after they become eligible for release. The ordinance, however, doesn’t apply to individuals who have previously been convicted of a violent

a multitud que se reunió en el Ayuntamiento el 14 de julio estuvo ahí para rezar por Kathryn ‘Kate’ Steinle —la mujer de 32 años de edad que murió a manos de un criminal convicto e inmigrante mexicano— y para comenzar un diálogo con aquellos que culpan a las leyes migratorias de San Francisco por su muerte. “Ninguno de nosotros quiere que esta tragedia se repita”, dijo Kitzia Esteva-Martínez, organizadora sobre derechos de inmigrantes. “Y entendemos que proteger la seguridad pública va de la mano de proteger la constitución y los derechos de los inmigrantes”. Bill Hing, profesor de leyes en la USF y fundador del Centro de Recursos Legales del Inmigrante, dijo que su corazón se hundió cuando se enteró del crimen; él tiene dos hijas de edades cercanas a las de Steinle. “Aunque sea difícil de aceptar para algunos miembros de la comunidad, la ley de San Francisco no tuvo la culpa”, dijo Hing, explicando que la ordenanzas de ‘Ciudad Santuario’ y ‘Proceso Adecuado para Todos’ fueron diseñadas para incrementar la seguridad de la ciudad al fomentar la confianza entre representantes de la ley y las comunidades inmigrantes. Las ordenanzas del Proceso Adecuado para Todos es sobre seguridad pública y San Francisco es ahora un lugar más seguro… Oficiales de policía a lo largo del país entienden que para realmente abordar la seguridad pública, necesitas que toda la comunidad confíe en ti”.

A history of run-ins with the law On Dec. 11, 1995, a bench warrant for Lopez-Sanchez’s arrest was issued in San Francisco due to his failure to appear in court on felony drug charges for pos-

Debate nacional La muerte de Steinle alcanzó atención nacional y ha alimentado a diversos críticos, periodistas, políticos y agencias de policía en sus ataques en contra de las leyes migratorias de San Francisco. Mientras que la disputa sobre quién fue responsable de liberar a Juan Francisco López-Sánchez, el hombre acusado de matar a Steinle, se intensifica, el alguacil de San Francisco, Ross Mirkarimi trató de defender la posición de su departamento al seguir la ley. “Me parece increíblemente triste e incomprensible que esta tragedia se esté utilizando como una plataforma para beneficio político”, dijo Mirkarimi al inicio de una conferencia de prensa el 10 de julio. “Queremos dejar las cosas claras”. El alguacil, sin embargo, tuvo poco éxito en lograr su objetivo. Mirkarimi, quien está postulado para reelegirse en noviembre, fue interrogado por una docena de reporteros locales, regionales y nacionales, y detalló la cronología producida por su departamento de los eventos en torno a este crimen. La senadora Dianne Feinstein estalló en contra del alcalde Ed Lee y Mirkarimi por liberar a un criminal (no-violento) convicto por quien el Departamento de Inmigración (ICE, por sus siglas en

See sanctuary, page 5

Vea SANTUARIO, página 5

felony within a certain period of time, who are currently charged with a violent felony, or those who may pose a public safety risk.


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