Does the Department of Homeland Security have powers of Arrest?

self | 05/23/03 | RaceBannon

[RaceBannon]

I have received an e-mail from a former co-worker, telling me that another former co-worker was hauled away in handcuffs by 'The Department Of Homeland Security'

[Sonny M]

Either way, if somone did come, they would have identified themselves by agency. In the case of the arabs who are now being held in custody (as the media loves to mention), they either were detained when they came to the immigration office in regards to violations or Immigration came and picked them up and identified themselves as such.

If this happened, there would have been a clear identification, a badge and name to identify the arresting agency. Whats being described is the equivalent of somone showing up and saying we are federal agents not saying we are ATF or FBI, etc.

[Marine Inspector]

Race,

E-mail me with all details, I'll see what I can find out.

MI

marineinspector@cox.net

[RaceBannon]

confirmation:

A Woman signed in to the company register as HOMELAND SECURITY, spoke to the company president and head of personnel

She was seen alone with head of personnel walking into production area, spoke to woman, Grace, and looked at her ID to confirm identity.

She lead Grace away while grabbing her arm, escorting her away, walking away with the head of personnel, lead away to the personnel office where she was handcuffed and taken away.

Friends of hers have been trying to contact her family and there is no one home, there has been no contact from Grace to anyone of her former friends at work.

date of arrest was May 15th, she was lead away about 12:15 eastern time.

[Sonny M]

You better call the cops here, this almost assuradly wasn't homeland security, as they would not identify themselves by the Department, they would identify by agency, and they do not have there own badge as of yet, nor is it likely that they will.

[Marine Inspector]

No law enforcement personnel work for the DHS, they work in a bureau or agency inside the DHS.

If they showed badges and credentials, it would have identified their agency.

No one in Customs or Immigration has any new badges or credentials. I'm pretty sure it's the same with the other agencies.

We had a memo sent out from DHS HQ not long ago, stating that we were not to identify ourselves as DHS agents, officers, employees, ect...

We are to identify ourselves by our agency. For me, that would be Customs and Border Protection.

This sounds fishy and I don't think your friend is giving you all the details.

[RaceBannon]

that is my great concern here. I am on the cell phone now with Farminton Police asking if this is legal, the woman officer is not sure how to answerme, and it sounds like anew question to her!

She does not sound like she is avoiding me, she sounds like she genuinely does not know if there are people from the HOMELAND SECURITY department that can arrest people.

[RaceBannon]

that is my great concern here. I am on the cell phone now with Farminton Police asking if this is legal, the woman officer is not sure how to answerme, and it sounds like anew question to her!

She does not sound like she is avoiding me, she sounds like she genuinely does not know if there are people from the HOMELAND SECURITY department that can arrest people.

[Sonny M]

There are a few agency's that can detain and or arrest, Secret Service, Coast Guard, etc. However, none, and I mean none of the agency's ever identify themselves as Homeland Security, they never have, never will. They identify themselves by the agency.

Isn't it usual procedure, for federal agency's to notify local police departments before they do somthing, to prevent confusion or misunderstandings?

[HairOfTheDog]

800,000 agents? That is your first clue this is comming from someone who is emotion rather than fact based. I would not believe it.

I would agree that your source of information is giving you a lot of tinfoilhat views about the politics along with the information.

[harpseal]

Checking with the Farmington Pd is an excellent step. In CT most arrests wind up being processed through local (state of city run detention centers even though one is dealing with a Federal prisoner.) Then they may be tranfered to a Federal lockup.

Please keep me informed as the person you are describing is reminiscent of someone I knew at a contract site.

[El Sordo]

Five bucks says it's a fiction of someone's imagination.

[RaceBannon]

I went to the Farmington PD, they knew nothing of the incident, the Homeland Security people did not check in with them.

Went back to my old job site. It is confirmed that the people who signed in the visitor log signed it HOMELAND SECURITY, but the woman did not remember whether it said DEPARTMENT OF or just H.S.

This is the major topic around the place. I know all these people from working there 1999 to 2001, these arent dreams or lies, this is real.

Her car was retrieved after the arrest by someone unknown, and it is believed to have been towed, but the 5 people I spoke to today did not see it physically being towed.

Farmington PD have opened a case file on this based on my initial comments. I printed out what the first 20 or so comments were here just to give them a written account of what I knew and of the e-mails all collated in one single form.

[El Sordo]

Well, I could be out five bucks.

This should be interesting.

Thank you for the update.

[El Sordo]

Out of curiosity, did you see the visitor's log for yourself?

A visitor's log is often a leagal document covering liability waivers and non-disclosure agreements, depending on the business activity at the site. I'd be inclined to think that they still have it available.

[El Sordo]

What kind of business is it?

Nothing defense oriented? Anything involving govt. work?

What was her capacity in the business? DId she handle money?

[ModernDayCato]

Race, et al,

I just sent you a lengthy response based on my inquiries to friends and colleagues in law enforcement. My best friend, who is a command level police officer just called me back.

I read him your email, and he said not to forget that there is also a STATE Homeland Security Office, which is staffed mostly by State Police who sound more impressive saying 'Homeland Security' than State Police.

Otherwise there currently are no Homeland Security agents per se. He has just returned from a joint FBI/HS one week get together, so he would know.

[ModernDayCato]

Also, if it was any law enforcement agency (including the Connecticut State Police) that arrested your friend, they committed a serious breach of protocol by not advising the Farmington PD.

That would have caused my friend's chief to conduct a serious @ss reaming on the command level officer of the agency entering his town without notification, regardless of the alphabet soup of that particular agency.

My friend's last comment was that perhaps others in the Farmington department were aware and/or part of the state task force.

[RaceBannon]

fyi

[Lloyd227]

"This seems a little fantastical to me. 800,000 socially challenged kids in New Britain might be a little noticeable (even in New Britain), considering that the Stanley factory is in the middle of everything."

Well, there was no number mentioned in the local news story I just saw on Television, but the Stanley factory building IS being renovated and plans laid to use it as a "training facility for underprivelged teenagers in the New Britain area". The story also detailed that this training is specifically for "technical training to support Homeland Security".

At least that part of this story is certainly NOT fiction.

Wonder if there have been any updates on this woman, Grace?

[Lloyd227]

Any updates?