Immigration Enforcement on Gascon's Mind

One of the hot-button issues in San Francisco is immigration enforcement.

Gascon said he's a critic of immigration raids and butted heads with the county sheriff when he served as police chief in Mesa, Arizona.

KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports

The sheriff ordered regular sweeps targeting undocumented immigrants, an approach Gascon strongly disagreed with.

"I do not believe that local police should be doing immigration work," Gascon said.

While many of the new chief's critics said he's soft on illegal immigration, he said undocumented immigrants must abide by the same rules as everyone else.

"It's important also to recognize that nobody gets a get-out-of-jail pass," Gascon said. "If you're committing crimes other than crossing the border without authority, then you're supposed to face whatever legal consequences are of import, based on your conduct."

Gascon said that in order for local authorities to be effective, they have to work closely with every community.

And he said that's not possible if people are worried about being deported if they talk with a police officer.

(kmi)