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Fla. Sheriff Targets Illegals: Funny Tactics
AP ^ | June 27, 2007 | Melissa Nelson

Posted on 06/27/2007 2:16:43 PM PDT by oakcon

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) - The sheriff's department has developed a remarkably effective—and controversial—way of catching illegal immigrants: Deputies in patrol cars pull up to a construction site in force, and watch and see who runs. Those who take off are chased down and arrested on charges such as trespassing, for cutting through someone else's property, or loitering, for hiding out in someone's yard, or reckless driving, for speeding off in a car.

U.S. immigration authorities are then given the names of those believed to be in this country illegally.

"It's not wrong for them to run, but it's not wrong for us to chase them either," said Sheriff Frank McKeithen, who created his Illegal Alien Task Force in April to target construction sites in this Florida Panhandle county.

Immigrant advocates say the technique is repugnant, and the ACLU says its constitutionality is questionable.

Illegal immigrants are leaving town. And builders are worried the crackdown will deprive them of the labor they need to take part in a building boom in which Panama City's Beach cheap spring-break motels are being torn down and replaced with high-rise condos.

The sheriff said the raids are justified under a long-standing Florida law prohibiting employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

His department has conducted dozens of these raids over the past three months, sometimes using five or six patrol cars, and has reported more than 500 people to immigration officials since November.

The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund is investigating the arrests because "the intimidation factor is of great concern," said Elise Shore, regional counsel for the organization.

Benjamin Stevenson, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in Florida, said he finds the tactic troubling.

"Why are they sending out six or seven agents to investigate a paper crime, and are they causing them to run in the first place through intimidation?" he asked.

As the debate over illegal immigration plays out in Washington, McKeithen is among a growing number of state and local officials taking it upon themselves to enforce immigration laws that up to now were regarded as a federal responsibility.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Mexico; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: alien; aliens; illegalimmigration; immigrantlist
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1 posted on 06/27/2007 2:16:45 PM PDT by oakcon
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To: oakcon
"Why are they sending out six or seven agents to investigate a paper crime, and are they causing them to run in the first place through intimidation?" he asked.
Translation: Why are they enforcing the law?
2 posted on 06/27/2007 2:19:10 PM PDT by Asclepius (the admin moderator ordered me to "lose" my tagline.)
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To: oakcon
U.S. immigration authorities are then given the names of those believed to be in this country illegally.

And US immigration authorities toss the list of names into the trash can saying, "We can't deport all these people who have broken our laws. It wouldn't be compassionate."

3 posted on 06/27/2007 2:20:18 PM PDT by SittinYonder (Ic þæt gehate, þæt ic heonon nelle fleon fotes trym, ac wille furðor gan)
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To: oakcon
The sheriff said the raids are justified under a long-standing Florida law prohibiting employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

( Fred-Thompson-voiceover)

"Enforcing existing laws, George. Something you ought to think about."

( /Fred-Thompson-voiceover)

4 posted on 06/27/2007 2:20:55 PM PDT by Old Sarge (This tagline in memory of FReeper 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub)
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To: oakcon

Looks out Sheriff Joe Arpaio (sp?)...
someone is gaining on you!


5 posted on 06/27/2007 2:21:04 PM PDT by VOA
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To: oakcon

Great tactic!


6 posted on 06/27/2007 2:21:19 PM PDT by true_blue_texican (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...)
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To: oakcon

“Sheriff Frank McKeithen, who created his Illegal Alien Task Force”

Way to go Sheriff!!!


7 posted on 06/27/2007 2:22:30 PM PDT by EEDUDE (Thank God for the internet: Back room deals being disinfected by sunshine !)
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To: oakcon

And these same hand-wringing liberals who bemoan the plight of the poor, law-breaking illegal alien will blame that same Sheriff for not arresting the nuke-briefcase-carrying terrorist.


8 posted on 06/27/2007 2:22:42 PM PDT by kromike
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To: oakcon

Now that’s good strategy right there.


9 posted on 06/27/2007 2:22:52 PM PDT by JamesP81 (Romans 10:9)
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To: oakcon

Interesting and apparently effective tactic. Congrats to Sheriff McKeithen.

I’d like to know what ICE is doing with the names.


10 posted on 06/27/2007 2:26:25 PM PDT by upchuck (If you don't have borders, you won't have a nation ~ Mark Steyn)
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To: oakcon
... he finds the tactic troubling.

LOL...yeah, because it works

11 posted on 06/27/2007 2:27:35 PM PDT by YellowRoseofTx
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To: oakcon

We had a roofing company back in the 70’s and worked mostly in new housing additions. Immigration back then used to drive green vans. If ANY green van pulled into the construction sites ...you would see the illegals scatter like cockroaches. It was almost amusing because 9 times out of 10...the “green van” would belong to a competitor of the builder. ha. I guess you have to get your jollies somehow.


12 posted on 06/27/2007 2:31:13 PM PDT by LaineyDee (Don't mess with Texas wimmen!)
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To: Asclepius

That’s the message I got out of it.


13 posted on 06/27/2007 2:32:15 PM PDT by oakcon (Dulce et Decorum est pro Patria mori)
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To: oakcon
and the ACLU says its constitutionality is questionable.

I'd like to see where in the constitution its wrong for the police to chase people.

14 posted on 06/27/2007 2:32:43 PM PDT by lowbridge ("The mainstream media IS the Democratic Party." - Rush Limbaugh)
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To: oakcon
And builders are worried the crackdown will deprive them of the labor they need to take part in a building boom in which Panama City's Beach cheap spring-break motels are being torn down and replaced with high-rise condos.

Builders are implicitly admitting that they rip off their customers by hiring un-insurable, non-bondable, un-identifiable identity theft criminals to do work.

15 posted on 06/27/2007 2:34:01 PM PDT by ikka
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To: oakcon

“And builders are worried the crackdown will deprive them of the labor they need “

Pay a few bucks more per hour you greedy jackasses.


16 posted on 06/27/2007 2:34:45 PM PDT by Rb ver. 2.0 (The Republican party of today is the Whig party of the 1850's.)
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To: Asclepius

If I failed to pay my taxes, is that a paper crime?
If I forge checks or write bad checks, is that a paper crime?
If I knowingly put incorrect information on any application, is that a paper crime?

All paper crimes are equal, some are just more equal than others.


17 posted on 06/27/2007 2:36:17 PM PDT by rusty millet
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To: Old Sarge

“”Enforcing existing laws, George. Something you ought to think about.”

George ain’t running for President.


18 posted on 06/27/2007 2:36:17 PM PDT by Rb ver. 2.0 (The Republican party of today is the Whig party of the 1850's.)
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To: oakcon
Bet the cops are getting a kick out of this. Mucho on duty entertainment. Happy cops is good cops.

19 posted on 06/27/2007 2:36:21 PM PDT by William Terrell (Individuals can exist without government but government can't exist without individuals.)
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To: Rb ver. 2.0

Neither is Fred.


20 posted on 06/27/2007 2:37:17 PM PDT by Old Sarge (This tagline in memory of FReeper 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub)
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