Police, feds seize suspected illegal aliens

The Galveston County Daily News ^ | January 20, 2006 | Mason Lerner and T.J. Aulds

[GulfBreeze]

LEAGUE CITY — League City police and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency took 62 people into custody during a sweep Thursday.

The people rounded up were suspected of being illegal immigrants. But almost all of them — even those determined to be illegal immigrants — were released a few hours later.

Sgt. Dan Krieger of the League City Police Department said officers and immigration agents set out around 7:30 a.m. and hit two spots where day laborers hang out.

That included a spot along West Walker Street, less than a block from the police station.

The other spot was in the 100 block of Texas Avenue, just off of Main Street near an apartment complex and a convenience store.

Krieger said the roundup began as police investigations into a pair of sexual assaults and a two-year-old intoxicated manslaughter case.

Among those suspects was Rigoberto Sanchez, the man League City police believe was responsible for a February 2002 car accident on state Highway 96 that killed four people. He was charged with four counts of intoxicated manslaughter.

Krieger said the three men police were looking for were also believed to be day laborers.

However, none of the three was found in the roundup Thursday.

By early afternoon, 60 of those detained in the roundup were released.

Many soon found their way back to Main Street and Texas Avenue.

Two were taken into the immigration agency’s custody. One had a warrant for an assault charge. The other had an extensive criminal history in California, said Krieger.

Louisa Deason, spokesman for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, said only those with outstanding warrants or those determined to be a threat to the community would be taken into custody.

“It’s a matter of setting a priority because we simply do not have enough beds to take them all into custody,” said Deason. “We are looking for those with a warrant of deportation, sex offenders or (those who) pose a threat to the community,” she said. “Those are the ones we are interested in.”

Those not deemed a threat or not wanted by law enforcement were let go and told they have to get their immigration status worked out, said Deason.

One of the byproducts of the housing boom in the area is the number of day laborers who spend their mornings hanging out, waiting for someone to pull up and offer a cash job.

James Rash owns the Lucky Chief Mini-Mart at Main Street and Texas Avenue. He said he was sorry to see the roundup take place.

“They were good customers,” he said. “Really, I just lost business.”

Rash said if the men waiting in his parking lot ever became a nuisance, he simply asked them to leave. He said they always complied.

“They are nice people,” he said.

Josh World, who lives nearby, said he was not surprised to hear about the roundup.

He said the laborers never bothered him, but his mother sometimes complained about their effect on the neighborhood.

“She understands it is a hard life,” he said. “But she just wants the neighborhood to look good.”

[Flavius Josephus]

Gotta admit, Illegal Alienism is a problem that was bad when Bush came in that's grown to gargantuan proportions under his leadership, and as a direct result of his policies. Let him be a man and accept the consequences.

[Flavius Josephus]

And fomenting the revolution Mexico doesn't want.

[Flavius Josephus]

I believe Kennedy either championed or got his name on the Immigration Reform Act of 1968 that got all this started. I still maintain, though, that like with the spending, the alien problem is one that the Republicans have made incomparably worse since Bush took over.

[Flavius Josephus]

That's bull. EVERYBODY knows that an amnesty will do nothing but draw another wave of illegals over. If you pretend you don't, you're a liar.

[Flavius Josephus]

Then there are the ones who've applied for visas that can't get in. Why? All the places have been taken by the border jumpers.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

The point I'm trying to make is building a wall and keeping the world out is not going to solve the problem and this single minded approach is only going to lead to the GOP becoming a "whites only" minority party.

We have a huge immigration problem, but do we want to keep them out or ASSIMILATE them?

Yes fencing up the border will keep illegals out then businesses won't have to worry so much about fake documents will they? We have a legal immigration system that works just fine without the need for anymore amnesties or guest worker programs. And the good part is they're already supposed to be assimilated somewhat before getting their citizenship so that's another problem fences will solve.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Then there are the ones who've applied for visas that can't get in. Why? All the places have been taken by the border jumpers.

Rewarding criminals doesn't work and is unfair to those playing by the rules. I don't know what it takes to make them understand that in Washington since practically everyone else in the country does.

[La Enchiladita]

I was one of the Officers there for that operation, I can feel your fustration.

I'm guessing that you feel the frustration even more so. Too bad you didn't locate the suspects you were looking for. Most likely, they're back in Mexico.

It's a sad day, though, when someone can enter our country illegally and stay as long as they don't rape and kill while they're here.

[wmfights]

"You may not believe it, but its simple supply and demand. More workers chasing fewer jobs = lower wages. Think landscapers and contructions trades are not affected in areas with a lot of illegals?"

In my area of the country (large midwest city) this is not the case. Native born workers are not chasing the jobs they are taking. Is that because vocational training in the schools is so bad, that's probably part of it. Also, Americans just don't want the jobs, when we run ads we don't get very many Native born Americans calling and the ads do not specify the pay. My experience has been in construction you see a lot of European immigrants in the trades because they have strong vocational programs in Europe and you see a lot of Hispanic workers in the entry level (grunt) positions because the are coming from countries with such poor educational systems.
____________________________________________________
"Again, I'm not saying I'm against immigration - just illegal immigration."

The problem we face is that we will throw the baby out with the bath water. I agree I'm not for illegal immigration, but if all these immigrants hear is build a wall and throw them out, how do you think their legal relatives perceive the GOP?
______________________________________________________
Its not that I "don't care", just not that awful much. Mexico is Mexico's problem.

Our future geopolitically is tied more with the north and south than with the east or west. Europe is crumbling and China is becoming the dominant power in the east. Our country is going to be much better off if Mexico is more democratic and open. If the safety valve is shut off what stops another revolution and the rise of another dictatorship.
_________________________________________________
"First of all, I'd just as soon not have us play politics with our border. Secondly, there's really no reason that encouraging illegals has garnered the GOP any Mexican votes. Most polls I've seen claim legal Mexicans are actually against illegal immigration. And the last time I checked, illegals still can't vote, although at the rate things are going that may be a matter of time... :( "

The RATS guarantee that this is a political issue. I suspect voter fraud is rampant in states that allow illegals to get drivers licenses. I think GWB gained 15 points among Hispanic voters in the last election. The problem is we don't control the flow of immigrants and we aren't selling the message of ASSIMILATION at the same time we are talking about building a wall. The end result is in the eyes of immigrants we are a bunch of racists, so as they begin voting in increasing numbers who will they support.

BTW, do you think the wall will get approved by the senate?

[wmfights]

"That's bull. EVERYBODY knows that an amnesty will do nothing but draw another wave of illegals over."
_____________________________________
I don't believe I said anything about an amnesty program.

[wmfights]

"....We have a legal immigration system that works just fine without the need for anymore amnesties or guest worker programs."
__________________________________________
If our legal immigration system works so fine, how come we have millions who came here illegally?

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Also, Americans just don't want the jobs, when we run ads we don't get very many Native born Americans calling and the ads do not specify the pay.

There's a very simple solution to your apparent problem of finding Native born Americans to work at your business: close up shop and get into something else. The days of this country taking in the world so you can have plenty of janitors, restaurants their dishwashers and landscapers an endless supply of leafblowers are coming to a close.

[freedumb2003]

Wouldn't a better policy be to lock up the criminals and keep them in prison and recognize the vast majority of these illegals are doing jobs Americans won't do.

You left off the /sacrasm tag.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

If our legal immigration system works so fine, how come we have millions who came here illegally?

Millions of illegals do nothing but stand on street corners waiting for cheap contractors to pick them up or work as nannies, maids or gardeners. Deporting them will not collapse this enormous economy no matter how much you want to pretend otherwise.

[antceecee]

Nicely said.

[antceecee]

I thought the art of personal attacks vs. reasoned opposition was in the realm of DU.

[wmfights]

"There's a very simple solution to your apparent problem of finding Native born Americans to work at your business: close up shop and get into something else. The days of this country taking in the world so you can have plenty of janitors, restaurants their dishwashers and landscapers an endless supply of leafblowers are coming to a close."

Do you believe the senate is going to fund building the wall?

Do you believe this country is going to move to an isolationist mentality?

By limiting the argument to "build a wall, throw them out, to heck with what happens to our businesses" all your doing is moving to marginalize the GOP.

What about forced assimilation? English only, schools ballots, etc.?

[antceecee]

There are young Americans who would do the jobs. Not only for the right price, but if they could even have a prayers chance of being hired. Look through the paper, most jobs require bi-lingual Spanish speaking applicants. That eliminates a lot of American workers.
They wouldn't need to be bi-lingual if they would hire legal citizens.

[wmfights]

"You left off the /sacrasm tag."

No I didn't. I just don't choose to be one dimensional in my thinking about this problem.

[antceecee]

Shoot, doesn't she know they are use to shacking up 20 in a room? That's what they do here in the OC. That's how they can afford to send so much moolah back home.