Posted on 04/24/2006 3:47:25 PM PDT by HEMICRASHBOX
A day of shopping turned into panic for hundreds of illegal immigrants in East Austin.
Word had spread through El Gran Mercado market that an immigration raid took place on Sunday. The flea market, on the corner of Pleasant Valley and Elmont Drive, is a known gathering spot for newly arrived immigrant families.
Witnesses said the market erupted into panic when people thought a raid was happening. Vendor Rose Leva said parents were seen running off without their children.
"I've never seen this in my life, you know. I just started looking everywhere and everyone was running, so I decided to do the same thing," Nancy Barrientos said.
Barrientos is an illegal immigrant who works at a booth at the market. She ran to her family’s car and hid inside for 10 minutes, scared to move a muscle. The only thing she could think about was her family.
"Separating from them and going back over there ... It just went through my head. I'm going to be far from them. It will be hard for me to get back in here," she said.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) could not be reached for comment on Sunday. However, nobody interviewed for this article actually saw any INS officers at the market.
"It's hard to describe it. You should of seen their faces, they were scared. Sometimes you feel sorry for them because they always have to live scared. They don't know what's going to come tomorrow, the really don't," Leva said.
"Separating from them and going back over there ... It just went through my head. I'm going to be far from them. It will be hard for me to get back in here," she said.
Giving an interview on TV is a brilliant move Nancy.
Good to see that these people aren't selfish or anything.
Now, for fun, someone Hispanic should go there later this week and yell "La Migra! La Migra!", run out of sight, and then from a hidden vantage point watch the fun.
I just wanted a better life for my children - the children I ran off and left at the flea market.
Grief.
Just because I wear dark glasses at a flea market, a black ball-cap and a windbreakder with ICE on the back is no cause for alarm. I really do love Smirnoff Ice.
"Separating from them and going back over there ... It just went through my head. I'm going to be far from them. It will be hard for me to get back in here," she said.
Leave now lady we will let you take them with you!
WHERE are the pics?!! I'm sure there out there somewhere!
Maybe next time, someone should yell "INS AND Child welfare services!!"
Interesting when they can gather in our streets by the thousands and yet be so afraid while on the job or browsing the flea market doing the jobs Americans won't do. Maybe these really are FLEA markets. LOL
Probably because the INS has been out of existence for about 4 years.
There is a video on the link. Nancy is so terrified she only stays on camera for a minute, shows her vehicle, where she works, etc.
This is gonna be a fun week...
Yes, I can see how terrified she is. She shows her flea market stall then gives a tour of her big SUV where she was forced to hide for 10 minutes. The eintire time she's on camera my heart breaks for her having to live in the shadows like that. /sarc
Rumors Panic Many Latinos [in Madison], Scared by Rumors of Immigration Sweep
Excellent.
Vendor Rose Leva said parents were seen running off without their children.
Lowlife bunch of criminals don't even have the guts to stay with their children. And people want to give cowardly scum like this citizenship. These illegals would make the very worst of citizens. Deport them back to wherever they came from NOW!!!!!
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