filmov
tv
Clerk creates welcoming task force for immigrants; judge says he has no authority
Показать описание
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Hamilton County's elected clerk of courts, Aftab Pureval, announced Tuesday that he created a "You Are Welcome Here" task force after it came to light that ICE agents had been to the courthouse in the last month looking for two people during their court appearances. However, one of the county's longest-tenured judges, Robert Ruehlman, called the creation of the task force "crap from the left."
Immigration advocates gathered at the courthouse Tuesday afternoon with Pureval to announce the creation of the task force. Pureval said it will focus on three goals: researching best practices across the country, making sure immigrants feel welcome by expanding translation services in the Clerk of Court's Office and looking at legislation to address the issue and making a recommendation to legislators.
"I know how it feels to have to say goodbye to a loved one who's in a detention center for 212 days," said Sandra Ramirez of the International Justice & Policy Center.
Three weeks ago, Local 12 reported that ICE agents had approached Judge Alan Triggs' bailiff in municipal court and asked whether two defendants were on the docket. The bailiff responded that they were and the ICE agents waited outside the courtroom to see whether the defendants showed up. In both cases, they did not. Pureval said that has created a "chilling effect" in the immigrant community.
"A vast majority of the folks who are coming through the doors of this courthouse are victims; they're witnesses and/or they just have to pay a parking ticket or a moving violation and it's those folks that I'm focused on," Pureval said.
Pureval said that undocumented immigrants who commit violent crimes should be jailed, prosecuted and deported, but he fears some may avoid the courthouse out of fear of being taken into custody to be deported.
"What I have a problem with is the perception that this courthouse is not welcoming, and I'm happy to know that a majority of judges don't do that," Pureval said.
Ruehlman has been on the bench since 1987. He called Pureval's creation of a task force a publicity stunt.
"He has no power of jurisdiction in this courthouse. We run this courthouse, he doesn't. He's a clerk of courts. He shuffles papers basically," Ruehlman said.
Ruehlman told Local 12 last month that he calls ICE when he suspects a defendant in custody in his courtroom is undocumented and he's never gotten one wrong. ICE then places a "holder" on the person at the jail, which means they must be held even if they post bail. Ruehlman is a Common Pleas Court judge and presides over felony criminal cases.
"As far as being welcoming to immigrants, I welcome any immigrant to come in this courthouse. That's great as long as they're not violating the law, you know? If you're an illegal immigrant, you're violating the law for being in this country illegally. It's as simple as that," said Ruehlman.
Ruehlman said he does not randomly call ICE on people doing business in the courthouse and ICE agents are not stationed in the courthouse.
"That's just a red herring. This is what the left does. They love to do this type of stuff and it's crap," Ruehlman added.
A spokesperson for ICE said Tuesday that Congress has provided broad authority for agents to "arrest removable aliens in courthouses" and "ICE's mission focuses first on criminal aliens."
Khaalid Walls added that ICE does not make civil immigration arrests inside courthouses indiscriminately and actions inside courthouses include specific, targeted aliens with criminal convictions, gang members, national security or public safety threats, fugitives and those who have re-entered the country after being removed. Walls said family members of those being arrested in a courthouse will not be taken into custody unless they pose a threat to public safety or interfere with an arrest.
Sheriff Jim Neil provides security at the courthouse. He said in a statement Tuesday that his office implemented a policy in 2013 to treat foreign nationals in the same manner as U.S. nationals except as required by Ohio and federal law.
Neil said he meets periodically with community leaders with ongoing immigration concerns. He added that neither his office nor the clerk of courts has the legal authority to prohibit law enforcement officers from entering the courthouse to make a lawful arrest.
Immigration advocates gathered at the courthouse Tuesday afternoon with Pureval to announce the creation of the task force. Pureval said it will focus on three goals: researching best practices across the country, making sure immigrants feel welcome by expanding translation services in the Clerk of Court's Office and looking at legislation to address the issue and making a recommendation to legislators.
"I know how it feels to have to say goodbye to a loved one who's in a detention center for 212 days," said Sandra Ramirez of the International Justice & Policy Center.
Three weeks ago, Local 12 reported that ICE agents had approached Judge Alan Triggs' bailiff in municipal court and asked whether two defendants were on the docket. The bailiff responded that they were and the ICE agents waited outside the courtroom to see whether the defendants showed up. In both cases, they did not. Pureval said that has created a "chilling effect" in the immigrant community.
"A vast majority of the folks who are coming through the doors of this courthouse are victims; they're witnesses and/or they just have to pay a parking ticket or a moving violation and it's those folks that I'm focused on," Pureval said.
Pureval said that undocumented immigrants who commit violent crimes should be jailed, prosecuted and deported, but he fears some may avoid the courthouse out of fear of being taken into custody to be deported.
"What I have a problem with is the perception that this courthouse is not welcoming, and I'm happy to know that a majority of judges don't do that," Pureval said.
Ruehlman has been on the bench since 1987. He called Pureval's creation of a task force a publicity stunt.
"He has no power of jurisdiction in this courthouse. We run this courthouse, he doesn't. He's a clerk of courts. He shuffles papers basically," Ruehlman said.
Ruehlman told Local 12 last month that he calls ICE when he suspects a defendant in custody in his courtroom is undocumented and he's never gotten one wrong. ICE then places a "holder" on the person at the jail, which means they must be held even if they post bail. Ruehlman is a Common Pleas Court judge and presides over felony criminal cases.
"As far as being welcoming to immigrants, I welcome any immigrant to come in this courthouse. That's great as long as they're not violating the law, you know? If you're an illegal immigrant, you're violating the law for being in this country illegally. It's as simple as that," said Ruehlman.
Ruehlman said he does not randomly call ICE on people doing business in the courthouse and ICE agents are not stationed in the courthouse.
"That's just a red herring. This is what the left does. They love to do this type of stuff and it's crap," Ruehlman added.
A spokesperson for ICE said Tuesday that Congress has provided broad authority for agents to "arrest removable aliens in courthouses" and "ICE's mission focuses first on criminal aliens."
Khaalid Walls added that ICE does not make civil immigration arrests inside courthouses indiscriminately and actions inside courthouses include specific, targeted aliens with criminal convictions, gang members, national security or public safety threats, fugitives and those who have re-entered the country after being removed. Walls said family members of those being arrested in a courthouse will not be taken into custody unless they pose a threat to public safety or interfere with an arrest.
Sheriff Jim Neil provides security at the courthouse. He said in a statement Tuesday that his office implemented a policy in 2013 to treat foreign nationals in the same manner as U.S. nationals except as required by Ohio and federal law.
Neil said he meets periodically with community leaders with ongoing immigration concerns. He added that neither his office nor the clerk of courts has the legal authority to prohibit law enforcement officers from entering the courthouse to make a lawful arrest.
0:03:15
0:05:31
0:36:21
0:37:36
0:01:51
0:01:01
1:35:46
0:07:52
0:05:47
0:00:28
0:04:18
0:04:35
0:04:21
0:13:06
0:02:33
0:01:11
0:15:31
0:01:34
0:00:54
0:01:27
0:19:48
0:05:03
0:04:40
0:00:47