Dallas Police Ticket Drivers for Not Speaking English
Monday, October 26, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Dallas police wrongly ticketed at least 39 drivers for not speaking English over the last three years, reports the Dallas Morning News.
It seems Dallas police were confused when, after pulling drivers over for other suspected violations, the police checked their in-car computers and a pull-down menu listed the “non-English speaking driver” charge as an option. The violation actually referred to a federal law governing commercial drivers that the Dallas police now say they don’t even enforce. However, at least 39 non-commercial drivers were fined $204 for their limited language skills.
Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle said on Friday that they would be reimbursed.
Although Dallas police don’t seem to have been attempting to enforce any immigration laws in these incidents, there’s a parallel to the ongoing controversy over a federal program that allows local police around the country who stop Latinos for minor traffic violations to check their legal status, then turn them over to federal immigration authorities for deportation if they can’t prove they’re in the United States legally.
The federal program, known as 287(g), deputizes some local police to enforce federal immigration law. But abuse of that power, often due to similar misunderstandings by local police officers, has at times led to the deportation of legal U.S. residents and even citizens, and prompted angry complaints from immigrants’ advocates.
Ultimately, much of the problem — in Dallas and beyond — seems to come from a lack of training of local police. The revelation that non-English speakers were getting fined in Dallas therefore could end up casting more attention on the 287(g) program, to the extent that local officials are wrongly arresting immigrants due to a lack of training on immigrants’ rights, local law enforcement authority, and what actually constitutes a crime.
19 Comments
Pingback posted October 26, 2009 @ 3:24 pm
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Comment posted October 26, 2009 @ 8:28 pm
Call and blast your Senators and Representative at 202-224-3121 in Washington. Jamming the switchboard with your calls, as it is having an outstanding effect of–MILLIONS of angry voters on legislators. THEY ARE BEGINNING TO LISTEN AND REACT? INFORM THEM TO DO THEIR DUTY OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES ON RE-ELECTION DAY? Tell them you want PERMANENT E-Verify for–EVERY WORKER, a secure double layer fence and–REAL–enforcement against sanctuary state policies. Only citizens and legal residents–MUST–be counted in the 2010 Census–ILLEGAL ALIENS MUST BE EXEMPT. Read undisclosed facts, statistics and lawmakers immigration enforcement grades of politicians at NUMBERSUSA. UNEARTH the corruption in government at JUDICIAL WATCH. Your voice is needed to halt OVERPOPULATION and American Worker survival. Demand NO-MORE-AMNESTIES. They should–GO–home and come through the front door, like millions of honest legal immigrants? Report any irregularities in your workplace to ICE. Be a patriotic American, Whistle-Blower and inform of illegal activity to ICE. Your job–COULD BE NEXT?
Comment posted October 26, 2009 @ 9:34 pm
That’s an interesting article. I just wondered if you could tell me where to find more info on this topic?
Comment posted October 26, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
Instead of ticketing them, it's a shame that they couldn't shoot them. Every time a Hispanic / Latino dies–an angel gets it's wings :)
Comment posted October 27, 2009 @ 4:02 am
287g won't happen in Dallas. It is a sanctuary city as are most Texas cities.
Comment posted October 27, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
What????
I hope they start ticketing or arresting people for being idiotic and racist. They should start with you, dex89123. It would be a much better use of our police officers' time and make our streets much safer.
Pingback posted October 27, 2009 @ 3:24 pm
[...] Eviatar of the Washington Independent [...]
Comment posted November 10, 2009 @ 3:48 pm
I'm pretty sure that's what slave masters in the South and the Nazis in Germany once said about their minority threats. It's wonderful to see how far we have come as a civilization…
Comment posted November 10, 2009 @ 6:59 pm
Hispanics will not be happy until they turn the U.S. into a piece of crap Country, just like EVERY SINGLE Hispanic country in the World. Seriously, can you think of any Hispanic country that is worth a crap–Spain is the only one that even comes close, and they still get off by stabbing bulls to death and having sex with 12 year old girls. Name the worst cities in the U.S.–Miami; El Paso; Laredo; San Antonio; Houston; any southern city in California–what do they have in common….Hispanics.
Comment posted November 10, 2009 @ 7:04 pm
IMMIGRANTS MADE THIS NATION GREAT: Don't you hate it when Hispanics keep throwing out this statement when someone brings up the fact that Hispanics are ruining this Country (gangs; drugs; overwhelming the schools and hospitals; baby factory anchor machines; inherent “hot blooded” evilness; etc.). Listen Latinos–EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS made this Nation great–NOT HISPANIC AND AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS. Every Empire has eventually fallen–the U.S. will fall BECAUSE of the influx of Hispanics and the welfare whor* blacks. It's NOT RACIST if it's true.
Comment posted November 10, 2009 @ 7:16 pm
HITLER: Do you know how many people WISH that Germany and Hitler would have won the war now—A LOT–because the Hispanics; blacks; and Muslims wouldn't be causing the demise of the World if Hitler had succeeded. I was against Hitler and his vendetta against the Jews, but if you take the Jews out of the equation, then the World would most definitely be a better place had Hitler and Germany taken over Spain; Russian; China; the Middle East; etc.
Comment posted November 10, 2009 @ 8:48 pm
I'm pretty sure that's what slave masters in the South and the Nazis in Germany once said about their minority threats. It's wonderful to see how far we have come as a civilization…
Comment posted November 10, 2009 @ 11:59 pm
Hispanics will not be happy until they turn the U.S. into a piece of crap Country, just like EVERY SINGLE Hispanic country in the World. Seriously, can you think of any Hispanic country that is worth a crap–Spain is the only one that even comes close, and they still get off by stabbing bulls to death and having sex with 12 year old girls. Name the worst cities in the U.S.–Miami; El Paso; Laredo; San Antonio; Houston; any southern city in California–what do they have in common….Hispanics.
Comment posted November 11, 2009 @ 12:04 am
IMMIGRANTS MADE THIS NATION GREAT: Don't you hate it when Hispanics keep throwing out this statement when someone brings up the fact that Hispanics are ruining this Country (gangs; drugs; overwhelming the schools and hospitals; baby factory anchor machines; inherent “hot blooded” evilness; etc.). Listen Latinos–EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS made this Nation great–NOT HISPANIC AND AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS. Every Empire has eventually fallen–the U.S. will fall BECAUSE of the influx of Hispanics and the welfare whor* blacks. It's NOT RACIST if it's true.
Comment posted November 11, 2009 @ 12:16 am
HITLER: Do you know how many people WISH that Germany and Hitler would have won the war now—A LOT–because the Hispanics; blacks; and Muslims wouldn't be causing the demise of the World if Hitler had succeeded. I was against Hitler and his vendetta against the Jews, but if you take the Jews out of the equation, then the World would most definitely be a better place had Hitler and Germany taken over Spain; Russian; China; the Middle East; etc.
Comment posted April 29, 2010 @ 3:04 pm
To make things out of justice (fairness), must have weighed no favoritism; law is just such a middle way of balance. – Aristotle
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Comment posted June 13, 2010 @ 6:57 am
I have to admit that this is pretty weird although I do find it the right thing to do.I guess there are many things that can be fixed only if we really want to fix them.
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Comment posted October 14, 2010 @ 9:31 am
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