South Gate City Council Backs Ammiano Bill on Local Immigration Enforcement

The South Gate City Council unanimously voted in favor of approving legislative bill AB1081, which was introduced by Assembly member Tom Ammiano, a democrat from San Francisco.  The bill calls for the creation of a set of standards by local governments where they would not arrest for deportation unless they have felony convictions of serious or violent crime.

“We have a large immigrant population and it was important that we echo this sentiment,” said South Gate Mayor Bill De Witt. “It is important for our police department to have a good relationship with the community regardless of their immigration status.” 

The council wants residents, regardless of their immigration status, to collaborate with police by not being afraid to report crimes.

“We need to have their cooperation solving different crimes,” said De Witt. “We need them to step forward and talk to our officers.”

The South Gate Police Department (SGPD)  Insisting that undocumented residents should not be afraid to  report crimes to them because of their immigration status.

“We will never deport anybody, [because] that is not the function of a local police department,” said Captain Keith Hupp of the SGPD. “We don’t care if the crime happened to someone who is here illegally, we will investigate it the same way.”

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