Posted on 10/06/2007 6:33:10 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
A network is being created to help illegal immigrants avoid that dreaded knock on the door in the wee hours.
In a recent two-week sweep touted as the largest of its kind, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, arrested 1,300 illegal immigrants in the Southland at their homes, in jails or at work.
Antonio Bernabe, an organizer for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, hopes to prevent ICE from ever again rounding up that many people during its large operations.
"The raids are supposed to be targeting the criminals but they are breaking up families, they are affecting the economy, they are affecting the communities," he said. "We are desperate to find a way to stop the raids."
The coalition is considering an e-mail or text-messaging network that would instantly notify hundreds of illegal immigrants that ICE is making its rounds.
That way, they can either leave the area temporarily or keep a low profile. ICE officers are not authorized to break down doors while searching for immigrants, but they often wait outside a home until someone emerges.
"The fact that anyone would consider setting up such a hot line to inform on law-enforcement activities is an insult to the American public and to law-abiding immigrants," said ICE field office director Jim Hayes.
Immigration activists said rounding up illegal immigrants who are just trying to provide for their family and are contributing to society is unfair. Federal authorities said entering the country illegally is a felony and ICE's job is to uphold the law.
"We have seen over and over again that raids do not fix our broken immigration system," said Angelica Salas, the coalition's executive director.
A "raid line" already exists in Orange County, disseminating as much information as organizers can gather.
Such networks or hot lines can put both federal agents and illegal immigrants in danger, ICE officials said, and sometimes bring charges for aiding and abetting criminals.
Plus, the alert networks can only do so much because federal agents are searching for specific individuals rather than going door-to-door, officials said.
"We don't announce in advance where we're going to be going," ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said.
The crackdown is part of a national effort targeting 597,000 immigrants who have ignored judicial orders to leave the country. ICE officials said they focus on illegal immigrants who pose a safety threat, such as gang members, sex offenders and drug traffickers.
Bernabe pointed out that only 269 of the 530 illegal immigrants who were tracked down in their communities had criminal records or had been ordered deported. The rest were undocumented immigrants who had no criminal records.
Just tell them to go home to Mexico.
This guy is setting up his own sting operation, with him as the star!
Keep movin’, movin’, movin’,
Though they’re disapprovin’,
Keep them doggies movin’ Rawhide!
Don’t try to understand ‘em,
Just rope and throw and grab ‘em,
Soon we’ll be living high and wide.
Move ‘em on, head ‘em up,
Head ‘em up, move ‘em out,
Move ‘em on, head ‘em out Rawhide!
Set ‘em out, ride ‘em in
Ride ‘em in, let ‘em out,
Cut ‘em out, ride ‘em in Rawhide.
Yes.
Families of criminals.
.
Aiding and abetting the enemy... I think that qualifies as treason.
They are criminals. And they are breading up their own families by coming here.
Can’t they be arrested and prosecuted for this the same as:
Dispatcher arrested on suspicion on tipping off suspects
A 26-year-old dispatcher for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office was arrested Tuesday on suspicion he tipped off suspects that deputies were going to serve search warrants on them in an investigation into illegal gambling.
Christopher Scott Strang of Peoria was booked on 43 counts of hindering prosecution. (snip)
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/92318
a reverse whistle blower.. Thanks for that info..
I doubt he’ll be working the phones for Maricopa County anytime soon.
Yeah, but “only” slightly more than half are criminals.
Apparently Mr. Bernabe is too stupid to understand that all illegal aliens are, by definition, criminals.
Nothing a little obstruction of justice charge and a stretch in the Federal pen wouldn’t solve. Either we’re serious about enforcing our laws, or we’re not. Bush isn’t; I pray our next president will be.
ping pong tard
A shame the article doesn’t give the phone number for the ‘raid hotline’.
We could call every day and “warn” them about how all construction sites in a city were going to be raided that day. Or daycare centers. Or day-labor setups outside Home Depot ... or ... Hospital Emergency Rooms. Give them a few made up names ICE is “looking for” in these supposed raids.
Have fun with it ! Be as creative as you like !
Let those employers decide whether the hassle of employing illegals is worth it when they can’t be sure the worker will show up on any given day.
Sounds like conspiracy charges, aiding and abetting known felons, and maybe even racketeering charges being needed here...
Perhaps he should take a look at the state’s conspiracy laws in the course of his planning...
Typical leftist hype. We haven't 'seen' it 'over and over again', 'cause we haven't DONE it over and over again... yet. Give us a call in another year or so, Angie, baby.
"They're looking for some guy named 'Jose', but I can't read the last name here...."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.