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| City of Los Angeles |
Special Order 40 is a police mandate that originated in 1979 by former Los Angeles Police Chief Gates and the L.A. City Council to prevent police from inquiring about the immigration status of arrestees. The downside to Special Order 40 is quite substantial because it is a powerful incentive for more illegal immigrants to flaunt U.S. law. Illegal immigrants recognize Los Angeles – and many other cities that have adopted similar laws – as a safe haven where they can’t be touched because of their immigration status. Special Order 40 is also at odds with the law. No police officer can be ordered to ignore and flout the law, including federal immigration laws.
As part of our efforts in the area of immigration law enforcement, Judicial Watch, under the California Public Records Act, requested documents from the LAPD regarding Special Order 40 and about how their officers handle illegal immigrants. We sued the LAPD for the documents after they were unresponsive to our request and were successful. We have also sued the LAPD over the actual special order.
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