John Mataka: Sheriff wants to arrest immigrants

Re “Law Enforcement in state less helpful to ICE” (Page A3, Oct. 18): Sheriff Adam Christianson was quoted saying: “Frankly, I think we’re releasing people into the community that shouldn’t be back in the community. Every time there’s a crime there’s a victim, and that victim deserves justice.”

The above statement in regards to law enforcement implementing the new state law barring jails from holding nonviolent immigration detainees for federal immigration officials was not surprise. Just as Christianson has courted the Madison Society with statements that he would not enforce guns laws against citizens who carry arms, he now is courting the anti-immigrant voters. He was against prison reform, which allowed him to bring more deputies on his staff. He used the same type of message to the public then. If prison reform in California had not taken place, he had already traveled to Washington D.C and spoken to officials about Stanislaus County having an “immigration detention center.” Christianson continues to view immigrants as a threat to the public despite the fact that the majority are hard-working individuals just trying to better their lives.

Question? Are we compliant with the new law in Stanislaus County? We will soon see.

This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 6:59 PM with the headline "John Mataka: Sheriff wants to arrest immigrants."