Posted on 02/23/2008 12:26:29 PM PST by NormsRevenge
ESCONDIDO – The car thief had been released from jail and formally deported to Mexico six days earlier, and yet Wednesday, police found him back on the streets of Escondido.
Officers say they've become frustrated with the growing numbers of illegal immigrants in the city who commit crimes and are deported, only to return.
“As short as a few days or a couple of weeks later, they're back in town,” said Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher.
The auto thief was one of 14 illegal immigrants police detained this week in a three-day sweep targeting people whom officers have had contact with in the past and who police know have been formally deported.
Once an immigration judge has deported a person, it is a federal felony for that person to return to the United States.
“Our message is that if you're here in the country illegally and commit a crime, we're going to look for you,” Maher said Thursday.
“We hope this will make them stay in their country of origin, or at least make them less comfortable to return to Escondido,” he said. More sweeps are planned.
Six officers and a sergeant worked off a list of about 100 deportees and swept the city looking for those who had returned illegally.
Once someone on their list was contacted, police verified the person's immigration status by checking with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Most of the suspects were then handed over to ICE to face federal charges.
One of those detained was a convicted felon who had been formally deported seven times since December. Another had prior arrests for assault on a police officer, assault with a deadly weapon, rape and robbery, Officer Russ Whitaker said.
The operation, which ended yesterday, is part of Maher's strategy to go after illegal immigrants who are criminals while assuring that local police will not target undocumented immigrants who otherwise abide by the law.
Maher, who took over as police chief in 2006, said it's important for police to foster relationships with all people.
“The last thing we want people to do is not to report a crime because they think the only thing we care about is immigration status,” Maher said.
However, Bill Flores, a spokesman for El Grupo, an umbrella organization for North County civil rights groups, said it is poor public policy for local police to enforce any kind of federal immigration law.
He said the police operation can be added to a long list of anti-immigrant sentiment pushed by the city, including passing an ordinance that would have banned landlords from renting to illegal immigrants. The City Council later rescinded the law after a legal challenge.
“The pattern is clear of what's happening in Escondido,” said Flores, a retired San Diego County assistant sheriff. “The small suburban town is attempting to legislate immigration policy even at the cost of injuring legal Latinos and American citizens, dividing the city and creating an atmosphere of suspicion, hostility and pain.”
Last year, Maher fought off suggestions by some City Council members to allow U.S. Border Patrol agents to work side-by-side with police during routine driver's license and DUI checkpoints.
On Monday and Thursday, unbeknown to the Police Department, Border Patrol agents conducted immigration sweeps in Escondido, fueling rumors that both agencies were working hand-in-hand.
Officers said that's not the case and that the Border Patrol's sweep may have even hindered the police operation by scaring some suspects into hiding.
Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego, said the agency was not directly involved in the Escondido police operation but did receive a higher number of calls than usual from Escondido officers during the past three days.
She said she hadn't heard of any other local law enforcement agencies conducting similar operations.
It’s ridiculous!
So what exactly are they doing at work then?
“...while assuring that local police will not target undocumented immigrants who otherwise abide by the law.”
How can an “undocumented immigrant” otherwise abide by the law, when they are here illegally?
“Bill Flores, a spokesman for El Grupo, an umbrella organization for North County civil rights groups, said it is poor public policy for local police to enforce any kind of federal immigration law.”
I may be poor public policy, but who else is going to do it? Jorge? McLame? Hussein Obama?
“...a retired San Diego County assistant sheriff. “The small suburban town is attempting to legislate immigration policy even at the cost of injuring legal Latinos and American citizens,..”
Injuring legal Latinos, and citizens? What a crock of sh**. You mean, injuring liberal voter rolls.
Here in southern AZ, reportedly there has been some occasional criticism of ICE. The criticism is made by local law enforcement against ICE because it seems that ICE agents show up on the scene only if the case is huge, i.e. many illegals netted by cops, etc. If an illegal alien matter is concerned with 1 or 2 illegals, it seems that ICE has little or no interest. That’s the report recently by a leftist (or quasi-leftist) local rag, the Phoenix New Times (owned by Village Voice, Inc.)
Are you seeing/feeling the difference already?
“Are you seeing/feeling the difference already?”
Please clarify.
Are you going through your day saying to yourself, “Amazing! Nobody standing around at Home Depot?! I’m stunned.” The state budget nos. will be the real guage, not in 1 year, in my estimation, but maybe 2. On a personal level though, are people seeing more law and order?
Well the supporters of illegal insurgent criminal invaders got their wish.
ICE is not working with the local police. Good thing too, 'cause the police aren't interested in lawbreaking illegal insurgent criminal invaders
Here's what they wanted and what they got:
Last year, Maher fought off suggestions by some City Council members to allow U.S. Border Patrol agents to work side-by-side with police
However, Bill Flores, a spokesman for El Grupo, an umbrella organization for North County civil rights groups, said it is poor public policy for local police to enforce any kind of federal immigration law.
Well, it's not a good idea to pick and choose which federal laws are enforced and which are not.
How about Bank Robbery, a federal crime.
How about a kidnapper bringing to their town an underage kid for deviant purposes? Don't enforce that? Oh, OK only if it is done by an illegal insurgent criminal invader.
That makes sense.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE ALSO CRIMINALS??? They are crimnials for being illegal bfore they break our laws again. That California there silly! How’s the taxes out thier? don’t worry the rest of the US is soon going to be in the same shape. Guess there’s no where to run.
“Are you going through your day saying to yourself, “Amazing! Nobody standing around at Home Depot?! I’m stunned.” The state budget nos. will be the real guage, not in 1 year, in my estimation, but maybe 2. On a personal level though, are people seeing more law and order?”
There are still gangbangers here in the Phoenix area, e.g. MS13 and the usual drug traffickers. I don’t know yet if crime has gone down that much because the employer verification law was only recently enacted here. When a year or so elapses, perhaps there will be a clearer picture regarding illegal immigrant-related crimes
Vote for McCain, make those illegals legal.
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