Posted on 01/30/2007 9:17:11 AM PST by Sharks
DALLAS - A spokesman for the Mexican Consulate of Dallas says police in North and East Texas profiled illegal immigrants and exceeded their authority in checking the immigrants' residency status.
Consulate officials blamed the increased scrutiny on "Operation Wrangler," a plan announced last week by Gov. Rick Perry to crack down on drug and human smuggling along the Mexican border with coordinated law enforcement throughout the state.
Eduardo Rea Falcon, a Consulate spokesman, said Mexican officials believe 33 of 47 men, women and children held over the weekend at a federal immigration center in Dallas were profiled by police.
The immigrants were picked up in Fort Worth, Weatherford, Marshall and Denton County. Rea said they were stopped for traffic violations, asked for immigration papers and handed over to federal officials for deportation.
Rea said it's illegal for local law enforcement officials to ask for people's immigration papers.
"The only ones who can determine immigration status are immigration officials," he said.
Gov.'s Office spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said Operation Wrangler is aimed at border crime and does not target illegal immigrants.
Jean Dark, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety in Tyler, said 13 immigrants were detained when state troopers pulled over two cars outside Marshall for minor traffic infractions. State troopers referred the group to immigration officials, she said.
Dark said a state trooper can use information obtained during a traffic stop as probable cause to call immigration officials to the scene.
Dallas County Sheriff's spokesman Michael Ortiz said the agency is participating in Operation Wrangler, including an increase in highway patrols Jan. 21-28. But he said that no illegal immigrants were arrested or handed over to federal officials as part of the effort.
"We recovered five stolen vehicles, made three arrests ...
(Excerpt) Read more at dfw.com ...
Sorry, but if I get pulled over by a cop and don't have my driver's license, I get arrested. How is detaining you to determine your illegal status any different?
ping
It is a sorry state of affairs, when a country allows CRIMINALS to dictate how we enforce OUR laws in OUR country. Washington is the culprit, encouraging and pandering to ILLEGAL CRIMINALS in our country -- that is what allows these people to complain about the fact that someone in this country is actually trying to enforce our laws.
This is such a sickening situation. Thank you Washington, DC for encouraging the breaking of our laws.
I guess if you are looking for illegal alien mexicans you should look for white haired grandmothers... like they do in airports when looking for terrorists
The Mexican government telling the U.S. how to enforce its laws. Unmitigated gall. Someone should tell them to STFU, but I'm not holding my breath.
"Mexican Consulate says police profiled illegal immigrants"
If you're looking for illegal immigrants, wouldn't it make sense to have a profile to help in finding them? By this logic, it would be unlawful to profile serial killers.
what is so damn bad about profiling? Pardon my french.
AMEN!
I can't see the negative in that statement.
Exactly!!!
D'oh. If there was a serial killer out there who was middle aged, a little bit overweight ;-), blonde haired and blue eyed, do ya think I'll be insulted if the police pull me over to check me out??? Heck, no! If it's going to help catch a criminal, I say go for it, police officers!! Forget all this
"Locals can't enforce federal laws/federals can't enforce local laws" crap--let the law enforcers ENFORCE the LAW, all the laws, for Pete's sake!
Oy.
"Green Cards!? We ain't got no Green Cards. We don't need no Green Cards! I don't have to show you any stinking Green Cards!!""
Uh-oh--racial profiling AND stereotyping in the same post!!
Expect the ACLU at your door any minute now!!!
That is one angry illegal
So?
And the problem with that would be . . . ?
I sure as Hell hope so!
What part of "illegal" don't they understand?
Yeah, 13 people in two cars is profiling.
HELLLOOOOO!
It's either profiling or a college stunt and maybe the officers didn't see A&M stickers on their cars.
Nothing. But they know that if they throw around the right liberal codewords we will backoff.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.