Latino activists, clergy and civil rights leaders called on city officials Tuesday to implement a written policy barring police from asking the immigration status of those who call for help, a move they say would reduce crime and help bridge the gap between officers and immigrants.
The demand came during an emotionally charged news conference at Patterson Park, where Latino and black community leaders gathered to rally against violence, not far from the spot where police say a 51-year-old Honduran man was fatally beaten by a mentally disturbed teen who professed to hate "Mexicans."
The Rev. Robert Wojtek, pastor of St. Michael's and St. Patrick's, a Southeast Baltimore Catholic parish with a large Spanish-speaking congregation, called for police to issue a document "clarifying the fact that they are not here to enforce unjust immigration laws but rather to address criminal issues and violence.
"This policy has to be clear, written, and communicated, so that the violence will end and the real crime statistics in this city will be revealed," he said.
Police Chief Frederick H. Bealefeld III said a written policy was unnecessary in Baltimore because officers do not ask about immigration status. City officials skirted the issue, but said residents should trust police to focus on fighting violent crime, not enforcing immigration laws.
"I've been here for three years in this role, and you haven't heard one utterance on enforcement of immigration laws," Bealefeld said to the crowd of about three dozen gathered on a grassy corner of the park. "You don't see us sweeping through the neighborhoods asking for immigration status," he said.
Dozens of other jurisdictions, including Albuquerque, N.M. and New Haven, Conn., have enacted policies that prevent police from asking whether people are in this country legally, according to Kimberly Propeack, a spokeswoman for CASA of Maryland, a Latino advocacy group.
The Pittsburgh police chief recently declared that officers would no longer check immigration papers, according to news reports. And Maine passed a law in 2004 preventing any state employee from requesting immigration information from people seeking services.
The city's Latinos have experienced an uptick in violent crime in recent months, although many attacks go unreported because immigrants fear that they will be deported if they call police, according to Propeack.
Three Latinos have been killed in five attacks in Southeast Baltimore in recent weeks, and residents say all were natives of Honduras. The most recent victim, Martin Reyes, was clubbed and beaten with a wooden stake early Saturday, according to police. His nephew, Juan de Dios Hernandez, was fatally shot last month.
Several members of the Reyes family stood in a knot near Tuesday's gathering. His son-in-law, Pedro Concepcion-Diaz, with whom he shared an apartment, comforted a female relative who sobbed quietly.
After Reyes was killed, Spanish-speaking officers fanned out through the area, knocking on doors to reassure residents that they would not be reported to immigration officials if they reported a crime, Bealefeld said.
When Bealefeld and City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young were asked to clarify their position on a written policy, Councilman James B. Kraft grabbed the microphone.
"Putting something in writing doesn't make a difference," said Kraft, who represents Southeast Baltimore and describes himself as a strong advocate for immigrant issues. "It puts us in the middle of the national immigration debate. We'll get crazy people from all over the country coming here to find out if Baltimore is going to have a written policy or not."
Young did not directly address the question at the news conference, but a spokesman said later that the council president would back a written policy if it did not conflict with state or federal law.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake did not attend the event because she was on vacation, and a spokesman declined to say whether she would support a written policy.
Rawlings-Blake wants police "to be focused on reducing violent crime; the federal government is responsible for enforcing immigration law," spokesman Ryan O'Doherty said in an e-mailed statement.
Rawlings-Blake's office has arranged a town hall meeting for Latinos and police officers for Monday night at CASA de Maryland's office on Fayette Street.
A Maryland lawmaker who has advocated for tougher immigration laws — as well as making English the official state language — was incensed that city police do not ask about immigration status.
"It's a blatant violation of federal law," said Del. Pat McDonough, a Republican who represents parts of Harford and Baltimore Counties. "Federal law clearly states you can't aid or abet people here unlawfully."
McDonough said he plans to introduce a bill next year that would make the state's immigration laws identical to those in Arizona — which enable police to detain anyone suspected of being an undocumented immigrant — and a bill that would allow citizens to sue elected officials who do not adhere to federal laws.
But the crowd gathered in Patterson Park focused on making city residents safe, regardless of immigration status. Leaders pledged solidarity with the Latino victims and urged residents to be vigilant in reporting crime.
Young praised the family of Jermaine R. Holley, who has been charged with Reyes' murder, for turning in the 19-year-old.
"We need not condone the ills of our children," said Young. "If they do wrong, we need to turn them in. Enough is enough."
As he spoke, Concepcion-Diaz, the son-in-law of the man who had been killed, quietly accepted donations in a white cardboard box. The family is seeking funds to send Reyes' body back to the quiet rural town in Honduras where he was raised.
julie.scharper@baltsun.com