Posted on 03/16/2007 6:36:52 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, rounded up 12 illegal immigrants in Utah this week, identified as child sexual abusers. The arrests come as part of a nationwide effort called Operation Predator.
In all, 9,500 people nationwide were arrested, all of them identified as child sex offenders. One of them is Leonel Ortiz-Reza, and his story serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who is an illegal immigrant and who has a record.
ICE is stepping up enforcement with immigration raids last year and a new roundup this week of 12 foreign national "child sex predators" in the Salt Lake area. A press release says the ICE initiative is "aimed at those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, and Internet pornographers."
A Utah agent says the agency will do whatever it can to get these guys off the street.
Kurt Fitz-Randolph, ICE Asst. Special Agent in Charge, Utah: "In one case, a Guatemalan national had abused five children from age 3 to 9 or 3 to 12. It's not a grey area whatsoever. It's black and white."
Deffny Mendez and her family disagree. Her longtime boyfriend, the father of their two young children, is 27-year-old Leonel Ortiz-Reza. The authorities zeroed in on him because he's an illegal immigrant, and he's listed on Utah's Sex Offender Registry for a Class A misdemenor, attempted unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
Deffny Mendez, girlfriend of undocumented immigrant: "It's unfair because, I mean, if it was rape or something then it's a different issue, but this way, it was consensual, and no one pressed charges against him."
The minor in question was Mendez herself. She got pregnant four years ago at age 15. When she went in for prenatal care, the counselor reported the adult father, Ortiz-Reza, to the D.A. He was charged against the wishes of her parents and was put on probation. Now that conviction, coupled with his undocumented immigration status, has him on the fast track to deportation.
Deffny Mendez: "If you've been here for like 10 years, 15 years, and you have your family you should be able to stay here."
Kurt Fitz-Randolph: "If we can make our communities safer by removing these aliens from the U.S., based on their criminal convictions, we'll do it in a heartbeat."
This community advocate is getting constant calls to help with those now detained and gives this advice to anyone with uncertain legal status:
Tony Yapias, community advocate: "Stay out of trouble. Don't get in trouble."
We're told the other 11 people come from Mexico, Congo, Germany, Sudan, Croatia, Samoa and Guatemala. Who are they and what specifically are they charged with? The ICE official says that information is not being released on orders from headquarters in Washington. Because those arrested aren't U.S. citizens, the government doesn't have to release that information.
Hey. Whoever named the operation "Predator" deserves a raise in my book!
5 gets you ten that this "family" is living on the taxpayer's dime. Of course, it would be politically incorrect for the reporter even to ask.
Deffny Mendez: "If you've been here for like 10 years, 15 years, and you have your family you should be able to stay here."
I get really snarly when i read stuff like this. Stupid b----
I'm sorry, i hate to even think of language like this, but she is.
Deport Deffny Mendez for the crime of, like, utter stupidity.
How mnay Utah families say it is NOT unfair?
It takes a special kind of terminal ignorance to be unable believe that it is "unfair" to be fair.
"...it was consensual, and no one pressed charges against him."
Well there you have it, the kid made him do it! And it's every bit as perverse that the parents didn't feel the need to go after this guy. If he so much as touched my daughter, he probably wouldn't be seeing the clock radio tomorrow morning.
This ignoramus doesn't seem to understand that you can't consent to something that is illegal. "Consent" is a word that the ACLU and NAMBLA throw around when they're trying to legitimize this garbage, and guess who picked right up on it? Send this skunk to Sheriff Arpaio.
What's the big deal? Besides we can't kick them all out. The President said so, so it must be true.
L
Someone please tell Ms. Deffny Mendez that the American people think it is unfair that we have had illegals and criminals foisted upon our cities and towns by the American and Mexican governments.
If an illegal and an illegal get together and have a baby on American soil, that baby is an American, and the mother will not be deported. That's just plain wrong.
We know the father is illegal, is the mother? If so, then deport them ALL.
How do you say "15 will get you 20" in Spanish?
What's downright alarming is the number of child molesters and murderers who have mothers telling the media that he's a sweet boy who couldn't possibly be guilty and they've known what he was doing for years.
One will get you six.
Put one hand on my child and you will be buried six feet deep.
Rowwrrrrrrrr! (snarl!)
:D
I notice that he's still her "longtime boyfriend" and "the father of their two young children." I wonder if he has any plans to marry the mother of his children?
"If you've been here for like 10 years, 15 years, and you have your family you should be able to stay here."
The Termite excuse.
Deffny Mendez: "If you've been here for like 10 years, 15 years, and you have your family you should be able to stay here."
That SHOULD read:
"If you've MANAGED TO EVADE LAW-ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES for like 10 years, 15 years, and you have FATHERED CHILDREN WITH A MINOR HERE, you should be able to stay here."
Like sure!/sarcasm
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