Posted on 10/25/2002 12:44:42 AM PDT by sarcasm
Friday, October 25, 2002 - WASHINGTON - Sniper suspect John Lee Malvo was in the country illegally and had been jailed by immigration authorities but later released, according to reports.
The 17-year-old Malvo was held by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Bellingham, Wash., late last year without bail for violation of immigration laws, Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said in a statement.
Malvo was released after less than a month on Jan. 24, 2002.
CNN on Thursday quoted federal law enforcement sources as saying Malvo, who was born in Jamaica, was in the country illegally and had a deportation hearing scheduled Nov. 20.
The Washington Post reported that Malvo and his mother, Una James, were turned over to the INS in December after Bellingham police were called to a domestic dispute between James and suspect John Allen Muhammad.
They were eventually released pending the deportation hearings.
INS officials referred calls to the local police task force handling the multiple murder investigations. Spokeswoman Lucille Bauer said the task force was not discussing Malvo's case.
A Justice Department official also declined to comment.
Tancredo, a longtime critic of immigration policies, blasted the INS's handling of the case.
"I wish that I could be surprised about anything that happens within the INS," his statement said. "For years, the INS has been encouraged to ignore immigration enforcement in favor of acting as America's welcome wagon. We are witnessing the result of this policy. How many more innocent American lives have to be lost before these policies are changed?"
Tancredo rarely has kind words for the INS, although he endorsed the agency's promise on Wednesday, while the investigation was still in progress, not to deport illegal immigrants who came forward with information about the case.
"I, of course, support any measure that will help in the apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the recent sniper attacks in the Washington, D.C., area," Tancredo said Wednesday.
Pookie & Me
The FBI is looking for Osbourne in NJ for questioning. They're calling him a potentially valuable "witness". It will be interesting to see whether he was in some way an accomplice in this. While Muhammed was registering his Chevy Caprice on Sept 11, (within three minutes of the anniversary of the exact moment when the first airplane hit the first WTC tower), "somebody" phoned in a bomb threat to that DMV facility. I have a feeling this thing might go deeper than anyone realizes at present.
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.