Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank to Congress: Some Utah legislators push racist agenda
WASHINGTON — Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank returned to the nation's capital again this week to renew his objection to laws that direct local police to help with immigration enforcement. He believes they could lead to racial profiling.
Burbank told the House Judiciary civil rights subcommittee that profiling will only get worse in communities where police are required to enforce immigration laws.
"By increasing our role in civil immigration action, state and local law enforcement is placed in the untenable position of potentially engaging in unconstitutional racial profiling, while attempting to maintain trust within the communities we protect," Burbank said.
"Officers are forced to detain and question individuals for looking or speaking differently from the majority, not for their criminal behavior. How is a police officer to determine status without detaining and questioning anyone who speaks, looks or acts as if they might be from another nation?"
A Utah law that takes effect July 1 allows local police officers to enforce federal immigration law.
State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said that participation in the enforcement provision is optional and that many local police departments are opting out. Salt Lake City has opted out.
In written remarks submitted to the committee, Burbank criticized state legislators who passed the law and who are expected to introduce a bill next year similar to Arizona's controversial immigration law. Burbank described the efforts as "an obviously xenophobic agenda" advanced by legislators using "racist rhetoric."
But that statement, says Utah Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, is race-baiting: using racially divisive terminology to stir up anger.
"I believe the Arizona law is a tremendously good step and the basis for what Utah could pursue in the next session," he said. "(Chief Burbank and I) have a fundamental disagreement about how to handle illegal immigration.
"I hear him offering absolutely no solutions whatsoever," Wimmer said.
In Burbank's prepared statement, which was submitted to the subcommittee, he stated police officers should not be the ones to engage in civil immigration enforcement.
"Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and it is paramount to the wellbeing of our neighborhoods that the federal government maintains accountability.
Amardeep Singh told the House subcommittee Thursday that his son cried when he entered the glass enclosure at the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., airport for extra screening.
Azaad Singh was patted down. His bag was searched. And then the security officer went through his prized possessions: his first Elmo book, his second Elmo book, his mini-mail truck.
Azaad, whose name means "freedom," is an American and a Sikh.
He's 18 months old.
Azaad's father said he's not sure how he'll one day explain to Azaad why he and his Sikh family seem to always need extra screening.
The subcommittee is exploring potential legislation to stop racial profiling. Witnesses proposed that Congress require studies to document how often particular groups of victims are stopped or arrested and whether they were threats to the United States. Legislation also should provide legal redress for those who were wronged, they say.
Witnesses told the subcommittee that profiling remains a national problem for African-Americans. Hispanics are increasingly victims, especially in states and communities that have cracked down on illegal immigrants. And, since Sept. 11, 2001, Muslims and Sikhs have been regularly targeted.
Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP's Washington office, said the civil rights group has more than 2,200 membership units. They are located in every state, "and I would wager that every NAACP unit has, at some point, received at least one complaint of racial profiling. Many NAACP units report receiving hundreds, if not thousands, of complaints."
"It's not fair. It's not safe. It's not American," said Singh, who was returning from a family vacation in Mexico two months ago when the incident occurred in Fort Lauderdale. He's director of programs of The Sikh Coalition. He testified wearing a traditional Sikh turban.
Contributing: Joe Dougherty, Deseret News
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