SAN ANTONIO – In a session billed as a conversation with members of the San Antonio Tea Party, Police Chief William McManus was at the heart of a heated debate over whether San Antonio is a sanctuary city.
“It’s not,” McManus said.
San Antonio officers do not ask about anyone’s immigration status.
A member of the audience said, “It’s good to see an officer who’s not afraid of a fight, and you definitely came to one.”
McManus’ position caught the attention of the Tea Party last October, when the longtime unwritten policy on not asking for immigration status was finally included in the police department’s manual.
Federal authorities still have access to the Bexar County jail, where they can place detainers on undocumented immigrants who’ve been arrested on other charges.
Recalling a case in San Francisco, a Tea Party member questioned, “It’s OK to release somebody so that they go out and kill somebody?”
The question seemed to test McManus’ patience.
“No, it’s not OK to release somebody so that they go out and kill somebody,” McManus said, noting that, in that case, the sheriff there ignored the detainer.
When the man in the audience was unsatisfied with the chief’s response, McManus said, “I’m not here to argue with you. You may not like my answers, but they’re my answers.”
McManus said if his officers were to ask about immigration status, “No one in the immigrant community would call the police ever again for fear of being deported.”
McManus said it would create an environment where crime would flourish if it goes unreported.
“We need them to do our job,” McManus said. “If we don’t have that assistance, we’re working with one arm behind our back.”
Another Tea Party member said, “They are the victim of crime, so they should want to work with us.”
McManus answered, “If you’re a former police officer, then you know darn right that many, many victims of crime do not want to cooperate with police.”
At one point, the McManus asked the audience what if he were to ask for their proof of citizenship if they looked Hispanic or spoke with an accent.
“Nobody in here wants to be profiled,” he said.
One woman responded, “I’m sorry. Profiling is a terrible thing, but on the other hand, it protects you.”
Wrapping up the 45 minutes of back-and-forth, McManus said, “We’re going to have to agree to disagree. I respect your opinion. I ask that you respect mine.”