Crime Affects All of Us

By Jonathan Friedman

Jonathan Friedman will stand up and demand reimbursement from the federal government for all costs associated with incarcerating illegal aliens arrested for criminal acts. California taxpayers pay nearly a billion dollars a year to cover these costs, which stem from the federal government's failure to enforce our borders.

Many of our communities are infested with criminal gangs. These gangs terrorize honest citizens, destroy residential neighborhoods, disrupt local schools, and kill small businesses.

Part of the gang problem is fueled by illegal aliens. The tragic death of promising high school senior Jamiel Shaw last year reminds us of the high cost of this problem: the federal government has failed to protect our borders, and our children die as a result.

There is also a huge financial cost of this problem: nearly 20,000 state prison inmates are illegal aliens, one in nine prisoners. They cost California taxpayers nearly one billion dollars a year, and despite the fact that the problem stems from lack of federal border control, the federal government pays only about 10% of this enormous cost. It's time for Sacramento to stand up and demand that the federal government reimburse California for this cost. As your State Senator, I will stand up and demand reimbursement.

We have other crime-related problems in our communities. While local law enforcement is responsible for dealing with most of them, I will work to ensure that law enforcement has all of the resources they need to protect life and property.

Special Order 40

LAPD Special Order 40 prevents police officers from asking people about their immigration status. This measure was implemented to encourage undocumented witnesses to give police information about criminal acts without fear of being arrested themselves. However, the result has been that police are not able to ask suspected gang members about their immigration status, and they are not able to contact immigration officials to obtain this information. Special Order 40 helps keep dangerous criminals who should not even be in this country out on our streets.

Special Order 40 has proven to be bad public policy. Worse yet, it is a symptom of a larger problem: the federal government's failure to protect our borders. We have a bigger gang problem because of that failure, but our response is hobbled by Special Order 40. As your State Senator, I will fight to ensure more federal funding for California's costs related to illegal immigrants, and I will be an active voice for the elimination of Special Order 40.