Many Tucson citizens are in an uproar after the Tucson Police Department enacted new policy on Nov. 6 forbidding Border Patrol to come to Tucson Unified School District schools and local churches to deport illegal immigrants.

The policy change followed a protest held by about 100 Catalina Magnet High School students. The teens protested the deportation of a fellow student who was caught with marijuana at school, and later found to be an illegal immigrant by TPD.

One Tucson citizen, morning radio host Jon Justice of 104.1 The Truth, has been very vocal about the issue. Since the policy change, his three-hour morning radio show has been flooded with discussion about the controversy, and a call to action.

“What right does TPD have to pick what laws they want to enforce?” Justice said. “They don’t want to enforce illegal immigration. They want to change policy.”

Justice, who has been hosting “The Morning Truth with Jon Justice” since August of this year, has encouraged his listeners to call the mayor, state representatives, the senator and the governor to plead for a reversal of the policy change.

“Somebody needs to stand up and speak for everyone who is outraged by this. It’s time that we, as tax payers and citizens who are against this, be heard,” Justice said.

Justice has also encouraged listeners to call Border Patrol and report anyone they know to be an illegal immigrant.

These recent local events are part of the ongoing illegal immigration issue facing the U.S. Justice believes that most people have become too tolerant and relaxed about the issue.

“We have allowed it to happen. People don’t have a problem with it,” he said. Justice explained that he feels a majority of people have the “utopian mindset” that everyone deserves the benefits that Americans get.

“I don’t have a problem with anyone leaving their country for a better life,” Justice said. “I welcome you with open arms, but do it legally. We all have to abide by our laws. Until we start enforcing our laws they [illegal immigrants] will keep coming and they will think they can have a free hand.”

Justice said he is also disappointed with TUSD in their request for TPD policy change. He said he feels they responded out of fear of the reactions of illegal immigrant families within TUSD.

“I think personally, TUSD acted because there will be more outrage. They would rather not be boiled in any sort of controversy. To avoid it they changed policy. They don’t want to have immigration laws enforced,” Justice said.

Chyrl Hill Lander, TUSD director of communications, said she thinks it is a distraction for Border Patrol to come to schools, and that all kids should be able to feel they can come to school.

“Public schools aren’t the place for Border Patrol to be questioning someone about their immigration status,” Lander said. “It’s wrong to turn public schools into immigration enforcement centers.”

Justice believes that the enforcement of immigration law should have no boundaries.

“The less we enforce our laws, the weaker we become,” he said. “I’m tired of looking like the unsympathetic bad guy when I just want our laws to be enforced. When you break the law, our sympathy goes out the window.”

A 1982 Supreme Court ruling prohibits schools from denying students access to education. The TUSD-TPD controversy is a result of the interpretation of that ruling.

There has been no clarification of whether deporting a student known to be an illegal immigrant is the equivalent of denying a student education in the context of the 1982 Supreme Court ruling.