Police immigration policies may change

PHOENIX, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. politicians are targeting police "don't ask" policies that allow illegal immigrants to report crimes without fear of deportation.

The Arizona Republic said Sunday that while most police have found the policies help in the fight against crime, political opponents of illegal immigration have decided the measures are simply too open.

Such "don’t ask" provisions allow illegal immigrants to report crimes without having to worry that the police will immediate begin deportation proceedings.

Since the provisions only apply to those illegal immigrants who have not committed a crime, police have labeled the effort as an effective crime-fighting tool.

"There is a misconception about our policy: that we don't do anything about illegal immigrants who commit crimes," Phoenix police Cmdr. Chris Crockett said.

"That is not true. If you commit a crime, we arrest you," he added.

Meanwhile, critics of the policies have said the measures support illegal immigration and severely interfere with federal efforts to stop such crimes from occurring.