L.A. mayor to ICE re Elvira: Brief me next time *

* This post is being updated below.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa released a statement this afternoon on the arrest and deportation of Elvira Arellano near La Placita in L.A., seemingly saying to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, 'Alert me next time you do this.' Here's the full text, with strategic bolding:

"As this case demonstrates, Washington's failure to enact comprehensive immigration reform has direct and profound consequences for real families.

"Until we resolve the status of the estimated 12 million undocumented people living and working in the United States by giving them some meaningful pathway to citizenship, families will continue to be torn apart. As Mayor of a city that is over 40 percent foreign-born, I can tell you: when families are torn apart, our communities are torn apart.

"As a result, there is understandable frustration in our large cities, which depend on immigrant contributions, with the federal government's inability to enact just and necessary reform of national immigration policy.

"The manner of the arrest and deportation in this case raises concerns in our community.  To begin to address those concerns, I am asking Assistant Secretary Julie Myers to brief me and local law enforcement leaders regarding her agency's enforcement priorities and future practices in this region."

Difficult to say how a semi-challenging statement like this would be taken at icy ICE. See post below for more. * More updates coming up here or there.

** ADD: Stopped at the rally in support of Elvira Arellano in front of the Federal Building downtown tonight. It was a small gathering but still spirited. Chicano nationalists waving Mexican flags drowned out the speakers from churches and immigrant advocacy groups -- you know, the people actually doing work to promote just immigration practices.

** ADD: Update from post below worth re-emphasizing: Elvira Arellano says she's staying in Mexico.

Comments

[Gustavo Arellano]

When will those yaktivists realize IT'S NOT ABOUT MEXICO OR ANY OF THEIR AZTLAN CRAP but about the humane treatment of SER HUMANOS?

[Lo]

It seems that the Feds would know the protocol for conducting raids in someone else's town...Really, Villaraigosa had no idea this was going to happen?

He had no idea Ms. Arellano was in town and could not have taken pro-active measures to ensure her passage?

If Villaraigosa is so appalled why not take his stance further? Declare LA a sanctuary city, that will not cooperate with Federal immigration raids.

In San Francisco (a sanctuary city) I rub elbows daily with South American, Central American, African, Indian, European, etc. documented and undocumented alike. Really it makes no difference at the end of the day.

[Hector]

In retrospect, it probably wasn't a great idea for Arellano's people to put out very public releases of where she was going to be and when. I mean, come on.

As for the mayor--that's just politics. If that was my uncle Jose about to get nabbed and deported, I don't think Antonio would care if the Feds told him or not.

This is one of those issues where you're either preaching to the choir, or just pissing a bunch of people off. I don't think this case has persuaded anyone on either side to change sides. That's the immigration debate so far for you.

[L.A. Resident]

"I can tell you: when families are torn apart, our communities are torn apart."

I wonder if Mayor V. was talking about his own family when he made the statement about families being torn apart.

This reminds me of the "family value" politicians who vist prostitutes.