Traffic stops that lead to deportations raise concerns

East Valley Tribune.com ^ | , November 23, 2010 | Gabrielle Banks, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[moonshinner_09]

Over a two-hour stretch one night in April, state troopers stopped two cars on a highway in Inwood, W.Va., a little-known hamlet surrounded by apple orchards in the northeast corner of the state.

In both stops, troopers asked the vehicles' occupants, all Hispanic patrons of a nearby Latin nightclub, for identification. When some handed over Mexican driver's licenses, the troopers contacted the Pittsburgh branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and detained the drivers and passengers on charges of illegal entry.

Six occupants of the stopped vehicles face deportation proceedings and are challenging the police stops as unwarranted. Immigration lawyers say their clients fell victim to a pattern of racial profiling by state troopers, who they say purposely staked out motorists a mile from Lobo's, a dance club that plays "norteno" music on Saturday nights and draws largely Hispanic patrons from Winchester, Va.

The attorneys plan to ask immigration court judges to throw out these cases on the grounds that the state troopers stopped the cars because of their occupants' race.

"ICE will not tolerate racial profiling at all," said public affairs agent Mark M. Medvesky. He would not comment specifically on the Inwood stops since proceedings are pending.

Sgt. Michael Baylous, spokesman for the West Virginia State Police, was also unable to comment on the Inwood stops for the same reason, but said, "We don't do racial profiling here in West Virginia. Law enforcement is in the business of criminal profiling. We do actively profile criminals, people who violate the law. But we have not, nor will we ever engage in racial profiling."

[moonshinner_09]

I felt it was more in line with criminal profiling.

[Psycho_Bunny]

""ICE will not tolerate racial profiling at all," said public affairs agent Mark M. Medvesky"

Shut the #@%^ up and do your @$@^! damn @$^@$% &^#^% job, aWT^%hole.

[GeronL]

lol.

if you are in the country illegally and get caught-anywhere- you should be deported.

what the problem is?

[skeeter]

But the rest of us are expected to submit to genital pat-downs.

I hate bureaucrats.

[allmendream]

You see, when they do the exact same thing on Friday night, when the bar plays redneck music, that is A-OK hunky dorey.

But when they do it on Saturday night when they play the Hispanic music, that is racial profiling!

Sounds like they are staking out drunks coming out of bars, the clientele's racial composition that varies from night to night seems to be unrelated.

[traditional1]

"Shut the #@%^ up and do your @$@^! damn @$^@$% &^#^% job, aWT^%hole."

GOOD ANSWER!

[SaveTheChief]

They’re looking at this the wrong way. This should be a positive story due to the fact that no one had their naughty bits fondled by strangers.

[MarineBrat]

Not Enough Traffic stops that lead to deportations raise concerns with Actual Americans.

[Luke21]

“I hate bureaucrats.”

I hate communist reporters too.

[citizen]

Absolutely right, GeronL!!

[citizen]

I think you have that right, skeeter! They can’t be doing genital pat-downs on any illegal aliens. They have rights, you know...

[skeeter]

If it wasn't clear before it should crystal clear now - progressives consider US their enemy.

Its past time we return the sentiment.

[SpaceBar]

With all the other bad news, it’s actually heartwarming to know that West Virginia has legitimate law enforcement.

[screaminsunshine]

I just got robbed today. By a Cop in a speed trap. 250 bucks for going 50 in a 40. Highway robbery. They had 15 cop cars set up robbing almost every car that went by. Meanwhile the burglars are burgling and the robbers are robbing all over town.

[La Lydia]

Now we can’t even stop them from drunk driving!

[Hartlyboy]

They ought to be glad they weren’t caught in BY-God Texas or they would face a 3 month stay in a deportation center and worse if they get caught a second time. Texas has for years taken the position that their law enforcement and the Border Patrol are a team in dealing with these law breakers.

[FlingWingFlyer]

"ICE will not tolerate racial profiling at all," said public affairs agent Mark M. Medvesky.

The time is way overdue for the ICEholes to become "spending cuts". If the bass turds don't want to do the job they've been hired to do, WHY THE HELL ARE WE WASTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO PAY THEM!?

[jdirt]

I thought Texas was a sanctuary State? Dallas, Houston and Austin are official sanctuary cities. The rest I believe are unofficial sanctuary cities.

A full third of your House was run by the hispanic caucus.

I don’t understand your premise?

[Feckless]

I’ve got a concern. Why aren’t we going INTO the Guacamolean nightclub and checking IDs?

[brent13a]

...They had 15 cop cars set up robbing almost every car that went by. Meanwhile the burglars are burgling and the robbers are robbing all over town.

Have you called up the local PD and asked them exactly how many burglaries and robberies were reported that took place during the time the 15 cop cars were on the highway? I'm just curious to actually see the number of burglaries and robberies that did take place during the time you were 'robbed' for breaking the law.