In a testy exchange on talk radio, Denver City Attorney Cole Finegan Thursday accused Rep. Tom Tancredo of exploiting the killing of a Denver police officer to push an anti-immigration agenda.
Finegan and Tancredo lambasted each other on KHOW’s “Peter Boyles Show” in a continuing debate over whether Denver offers sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
The heated argument stemmed from Tancredo’s allegations that Denver does not require its police to refer suspected illegal residents to federal immigration officials.
That became an issue after Raul Garcia-Gomez, a 19-year- old from Mexico whom police have ticketed three times in traffic incidents since October, was named as the suspect in the shooting death of a Denver police detective early Sunday.
Finegan told KHOW hosts on Wednesday and Thursday that he is “appalled and flabbergasted” that Tancredo would use the incident to press an anti-immigration agenda. He used sharper words in addressing Tancredo directly on the air.
“Frankly, sir, you are getting in the way of us catching the killer,” Finegan said, explaining that some city attorneys who could be helping with the investigation are instead countering Tancredo’s claims.
“That is an absolutely outrageous statement,” Tancredo, R-Colo., fired back. He said Finegan’s responsibility is to help catch the alleged killer, not to get on talk radio and “play first base for the mayor.”
Finegan retorted: “Your responsibility is to work in Congress and pass laws and not interfere with our investigation.”
Finegan insists Denver has no so-called sanctuary policy – official or unofficial. Rather, the police operations manual says officers are not to arrest or detain people simply to determine whether they are legal residents.
But Tancredo insists that such a policy exists. On Thursday, he wrote the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, asking Secretary Michael Chertoff to enforce a ban on so-called sanctuary states and cities.
During the radio show, Tancredo and Finegan sparred over two executive orders signed by former Mayor Wellington Webb that Tancredo points to as evidence Denver has a sanctuary policy. One, signed in 1998, prohibits discrimination against foreign nationals in delivering city services. The other, signed in 2002, established Denver’s policy for accepting some forms of foreign ID cards.
Those orders do not discourage cooperation with immigration authorities and, therefore, do not represent a sanctuary policy, Finegan said.
Tancredo and Boyles countered that comments Webb made while signing the executive order in 1998 amounted to a de facto sanctuary policy. Webb’s prepared remarks from the event refer only to legal immigrants.
At times, the sanctuary-or-not debate on KHOW devolved.
“We are in compliance” with federal law, Finegan said.
“No, you’re not,” Tancredo said.
“Yes, we are.”
“No, you’re not.”
