Posted on 07/22/2005 4:43:43 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
Lawmaker: Immigration staffing 'inexcusable'
Four days after an N.C. man was killed in a car crash involving an illegal immigrant, U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick has asked federal immigration officials to explain why the state has just one deportation officer.
Myrick, R-N.C., wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and other officials about the death of Scott Gardner of Mount Holly, who was killed Saturday when his car was hit by a truck driven by an illegal immigrant later charged with driving while impaired.
The wreck marks the fourth time in three years that Ramiro Gallegos, 25, of Supply in Brunswick County, has faced DWI charges.
"It should not take a horrible incident like this to draw attention to this persistent problem plaguing the enforcement of our immigration laws," Myrick wrote.
Gallegos remained in Brunswick County jail Wednesday charged with second-degree murder as well as DWI. Immigration officials said they put a detainer on him, meaning they will deport him to Mexico if he's convicted.
In her letter, Myrick called Gardner's death "entirely preventable." Having one immigration officer for North Carolina is "inexcusable," she said.
Sue Brown, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said her agency will work with Myrick and other authorities to look into the situation.
She said the agency had no record of Gallegos since immigration authorities arrested him in 1998. No details of that arrest were immediately available.
"When we find out that somebody is breaking the immigration law, we don't turn our heads," Brown said.
Though North Carolina has an estimated 300,000 illegal immigrants, the state has one federal deportation officer who is among fewer than 10 people in the state who work for Detention and Removal Operations, a unit of ICE.
ICE also has about 50 investigators in North Carolina whose duties are divided between immigration violations and customs cases such as drug smuggling.
Meanwhile, state Highway Patrol troopers have arrested the owner of a truck that Gallegos was driving.
Lazero Presa-Martinez, 24, of Wilmington, was charged late Tuesday with allowing his vehicle to be used by an impaired and unlicensed driver, both misdemeanors. Martinez, a legal immigrant, was booked at Brunswick County Jail and released after posting bond.
Scott Gardner's wife, Tina, remained in critical condition at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. She had not regained consciousness. Their two children suffered minor injuries.
"It should not take a horrible incident like this to draw attention to this persistent problem plaguing the enforcement of our immigration laws," Myrick wrote.
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Correct.
Meanwhile, state Highway Patrol troopers have arrested the owner of a truck that Gallegos was driving.Lazero Presa-Martinez, 24, of Wilmington, was charged late Tuesday with allowing his vehicle to be used by an impaired and unlicensed driver, both misdemeanors.
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State troopers. Very good. Rep. Sue Myrick has had enough.
So has America.
Unfreaking believable! Do they mean being here illegally and having three priors on DWI isn't enough to get him deported? What's next, one free dead American?
Why wasn't this illegal deported before this?
Why wasn't he in jail for his first two transgressions?
Great job there govt. types. What the hell is your job in the govt anyway? To look the other way at illegals?
Why do I hate govt.?
Fools just hanging around long enough to not be seen and collect a pension.
She has put her political career on the line here and the people are going to support her.
This one's not going to go away.
BTW: 1 deportion officer per 300,000 illegal aliens. Remember that.
Didnt I just read the other day that Illegals are taking busses from New Jersey to go down to North Carolina and get drivers licenses? Ms. Myrick needs to go to work to clean her own house before attacking the Feds. Not that the Feds dont need attacking.
Enforcing federal law is racism? How so?
(And yes they are. But not for very much longer it would seem.)
So if he is convicted he gets deported, where he can disappear and simply come back under another name? I hope we give him 20 years first and then deport him.
Yes, someone sees the light. He probably isn't really Ramiro Gallegos, because he can come back here to Ole Mexico, and pay a few legal documents he can get in a bank, crisp and new, and in a few minutes, he can get another name, another birthday and have another wreck. SIMPLE AND EASY. I Know IVE BEEN THERE and seen that.
No, law enforcement officers throughout the nation.
Drivers licence employees, parking monitors, hell even school teachers are govt. employees that could help point out illegals.
For once, make it illegal to hire illegals and put the responsible parties in jail.
Wow!
You've pinged everything before I even got to the computer.
(Great work, thanks!)
Representative Myrick is going to vote for CAFTA.
Help is needed to change her mind.
"For once, make it illegal to hire illegals and put the responsible parties in jail"
I believe it already is illegal, but the problem is the Government isn't doing a damn thing to enforce it.
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