Federal immigration efforts create a barrier between police and community. And everyone will lose. Local jails can't afford to act as immigration detention centers or lose trust of Latino communities

Brendan Cox and Miriam Krinsky | Opinion contributors

Show Caption Hide Caption Voices of DACA: Gladys Klamka Medical billing and coding specialist Gladys Klamka outlines the fight to protect DACA receipents and undocumented immigrants.

In cities across the country, Hispanics are reporting fewer incidents of domestic violence and rape because they are afraid that coming in contact with police, even to say that they've been the victim of a crime, could mean deportation.

Reports of domestic abuse dropped in at least three of California's largest cities — by nearly 4% in Los Angeles, almost 20% in San Francisco and nearly 15% in San Diego — in the first half of last year.

And in Houston, reports by members of the Hispanic community of rape were said to have fallen in early 2017 by more than 40% from the same time in 2016.

The decrease in crime reports out of fear in those cities alone is alarming. But the numbers point to a problem that police have known about and continue to grapple with as divisions over immigration rules across the country heighten: When people are too scared to cooperate with investigations or call police for help, everyone’s safety (immigrant or not) is threatened.

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That problem will only grow in cities and communities across the country if the federal government succeeds in its efforts to entangle local police in federal immigration law. That tussle is at the center of the legal fight over so-called "sanctuary cities" and federal efforts to undo the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Why should local cops get involved?

The Department of Justice recently filed a lawsuit against California that would force local officers to arrest and detain non-citizens as part of immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration is also seeking to unwind the DACA program that protects individuals who were brought here illegally as kids and who have lived, worked and studied as continuous residents of the United States for more than a decade. Both of these decisions are misguided efforts that pose a serious threat to public trust and cooperation between immigrant communities and law enforcement.

Immigration does not increase crime. Immigrants are in fact less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens. Why should local law enforcement agencies — dedicated to public safety above all else — be asked to expend precious resources to enforce federal immigration laws?

To best promote public safety, officers must be perceived by their communities as trust-worthy, credible and fair. Requiring officers to enforce immigration policy will destroy trust in many communities that are already reluctant to reach out to their local police. Rescinding DACA would enhance fear among nearly 800,000 individuals who are active members of our communities and diminish trust with populations that face heightened risk of crime and exploitation.

Free to commit crime

In a 2012 survey of more than 2,000 Latinos living in various major cities, 45% said they are less likely to volunteer information about crimes.

The lack of reporting means that perpetrators are more likely to get away with breaking laws. It also means that they'll remain free to commit more crimes, which puts everyone — not just the immigrant community — in danger.

And in the case of domestic violence, it means that women and children will continue to suffer, and often be prevented from reaching their full potential — tamping down talent that could benefit the entire nation.

Illegal immigration is a legitimate policy challenge in this country, but it is not a problem that can or should be solved by local law enforcement. Resources are limited. Local officers know the unique needs of their communities, and we must retain the right to decide how to use the limited resources they have.

Neighborhoods that don’t require local police to detain people under federal law have lower crime rates and strong economies. Police departments cannot afford to use local jails as immigration detention centers.

At a time when the Latino and immigrant communities’ trust in law enforcement is already low, our government should be empowering local law enforcement to fortify those bonds of trust — not standing in the way.

Brendan Cox spent more than two decades in the Albany Police Department, including as chief of police from 2015 to 2017. He is recognized as a leader in community policing policies.

Miriam Krinsky is a former federal prosecutor and executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution, a national network of elected prosecutors working toward commonsense, compassionate criminal justice reforms.