Worcester County sheriff goes to US-Mexico border

telegram.com ^ | July 15, 2014 | Elaine Thompson

[Tailgunner Joe]

WORCESTER — Worcester County Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis is joining five other sheriffs from across the country on a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border this week to find out what's happening regarding the influx of thousands of unaccompanied youths and other undocumented immigrants from Central America.

Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson, whose facility is also a federal detention center and has housed some undocumented immigrants, is among the sheriffs who will embark on the "fact-finding" mission.

"The issue is to find out what is happening on the border. We did finally get confirmation that there have been people relocated to Massachusetts," Mr. Evangelidis said before catching a flight Tuesday.

The two Massachusetts sheriffs and sheriffs from Oregon, Illinois, North Carolina and Maryland, will be in the McAllen, Texas, area until Friday.

Last month, several legislators sent a letter to Todd Thurlow, assistant field office director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security in Burlington, expressing concern about undocumented immigrant detainees that the federal government has flown to Massachusetts.

After inquiries from the lawmakers, Andrea Cabral, secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, in a June 19 letter said that since April 18, ICE has chartered seven flights to transport "detainees either to detention facilities in Massachusetts or outward bound for deportation."

On Tuesday, Troy Wall, aide to state Sen. Bruce E. Tarr, R-Gloucester, minority leader, said legislators still have not received a response to their letter to Mr. Thurlow.

Sheriff Evangelidis said because there is "a remarkable lack of information" from government officials about what is happening, he and the other sheriff's hope the trip will help open the line of communication. He said that two years ago when he went to El Paso, Texas, he saw that border patrol agents had no support and few resources. He said it was basically "an open border."

Mr. Evangelidis said his primary concerns are that the Mexican drug cartel is using the opportunity to sneak gang members across the border. Another major concern is communicable diseases that some of the immigrants have, he said. "Many people coming here have Hepatitis A and B and a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis. These are things we should be aware of as people are being located in our community," he said.

The sheriffs' trip to meet with immigration officials and border patrol agents is sponsored by the 35-year-old Federation for American Immigration Reform.

"Given the fact that the federal government is attempting to relocate large numbers of people throughout the country, including to locales in Massachusetts, as law enforcement officers they want to get a first-hand assessment of what's gong on and formulate some ideas on their own about how these issues can be handled," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for Washington-based FAIR. He said the problem at the border where thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America are coming into the U.S. is "self-induced."

"We have been sending clear signals that if you come to the United States illegally, you will be processed through one of the centers and released to some place in the country. And, if you don't go out and commit a serious crime, we won't go out and look for you," he said.

Mr. Mehlman said FAIR believes the government should put a stop to incentives that's driving immigrants to cross the border illegally. He said employers hire illegal immigrants and many states provide them with medical, housing and other services.

He said the federal government should revamp its immigration laws to admit a limited number of people based on some objective assessments that show they're likely to succeed and contribute to the U.S. He said currently, illegal immigrants can petition to have a whole range of extended relatives relocate here.

[Secret Agent Man]

obama is doing this for a pretext to declare martial law over biohazard/quarantine issues. he’ s spreading the infected all over the country.

[P.O.E.]

Any county that gets illegals should put them on a bus to Washington DC.

[doc1019]

No, turn them back to point of origin.

[P.O.E.]

I agree, but it’s a lot cheaper to send them to the Capitol. Let them handle it.

[Little Pig]

Just a side note, but Massachusetts “sheriffs” aren’t like sheriffs in other states. In Mass, Sheriffs are little more than process servers and jail wardens. They have none of the power that a “real” sheriff does. It’s been that way for decades there. About all the interest Evangelides has in this, is (presumably) the possible impact all those illegals are going to have on his jails.

[octex]

Just a side note, but Massachusetts “sheriffs” aren’t like sheriffs in other states. In Mass, Sheriffs are little more than process servers and jail wardens. They have none of the power that a “real” sheriff does.
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Wow. That is really strange, since Sheriffs are the top LEOs of their Counties in most States, AFAIK.

So, if the MA ‘sheriffs’ aren’t really in charge in their Counties, then who/what in MA really IS the top LEO of each County?

I know that in Texas the Sheriff is tops, but the Texas Rangers can enter under certain situations and take control of all LEO operations.

[Little Pig]

The state police are the “top” LE organization in Mass. Counties there do not have their own law enforcement agencies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_law_enforcement_agencies_in_Massachusetts

[bert]

They should visit this man.....the Pinal County Arizona Sheriff. He tells it precisely as it is.

[DaveA37]

“fact-finding” mission.......?

Really? Guess he’s been on vacation for a while.