posted on November 21, 2001 07:37:07 PM new
"Mayor Vera Katz on Wednesday said the city objected to certain questions that would be asked of those on the list. She did not offer details but said police may reconsider if the questions are changed."
Wonder what the questions were. I guess their identification would be a breach of national security.
"Portland police are refusing to help the FBI question Middle Eastern immigrants hauled in as part of the terror investigation, saying the practice violates Oregon law."
" No one can be questioned by police unless suspected of being involved in a crime". How can anyone argue with that? Is Ashcroft going to inveigh on the Oregon police now?
Already, the Justice Department has over 1100 people who are being held in secrecy. Nobody knows who they are, why they have been jailed or what charges, if any have been filed aganist them.
Civil rights activists say the action constitutes racial profiling. The Justice Department acknowledges the men are likely to be Arab and Muslim, but says the list wasn't based on ethnic origin.
Racial profiling is also against state law, Kirkland said.
Kirkland, who is black, said it's an issue that hits home for him, but that's not why he's not going along with the Justice Department's questioning.
"I am sympathetic to that issue from a perspective of growing up African American and to the issue itself. That doesn't factor into any decision to do this or not. The law is just crystal clear," Kirkland said.
"We made that decision regarding racial profiling long before Sept. 11. That decision was made for us when the legislature wrote the law."
Kirkland said he has heard many police departments haven't decided what to do about the Justice Department's request.
Many of those cities, like Portland, have large immigrant populations. But "even if the large number of immigrants was a factor, you have this law staring you in the face saying, 'You can't do that."'
