Posted on 04/20/2006 8:37:43 AM PDT by Snickering Hound
There was a crackdown Wednesday and dozens of illegal immigrants were arrested.
Many of those same immigrants were released just hours later
It was the last thing they, and their families, expected.
"They are not criminals. All they're here for is to work for their family," said Mariz Gomez.
And that's what they were doing making wooden pallets at two different locations when federal agents swooped in and took nearly 70 suspected undocumented workers to this federal detention center in north Houston.
"Just for them to come in here and to just throw them back to where they go. That's not right for them," said Gomez.
Families 11 News spoke with feared the men mostly from Central American countries would be deported.
But that was hardly the case.
Just five hours later Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents began releasing the undocumented workers.
"I was surprised by the quick release," said a man who asked that his face not be shown. Several others made the same request.
It is not clear why these immigrants were released so quickly but workers say it may be because the 950-bed facility was severely overcrowded.
The workers say they were told the facilities were full. Sources inside the facility say the same thing and that agents have been ordered to release immigrants as soon as possible.
Some of the workers say there were other problems Wednesday.
They said computers went down and agents had to scribble information, in one case, failing to write in a court date altogether.
The men we spoke with promised to show up for their immigration hearings, still finding it hard to believe they were released so soon.
I was afraid of this. Thanks for posting it.
susie
Just stricly PR. Sounds like a big waste of time and tax dollars to me.
DAM IT! That makes me mad! Send them back home!
Mmmm Hmmmmm
PR move, window-dressing, public display.
I'll believe it's for real when I read about 500 ICE teams doing this on a 24 x 7 x 365 basis.
More revolving door. Those illegals have moved on and probably have a different job by now. The whole raid was a joke. And the joke is on the law abiding people of this country.
This is really starting to piss me off.
What part of "illegal" don't you understand?
And have an expedited process for giving the accused a hearing and then deporting them if they cannot prove they are here legally.
Why the $#&@ are they releasing them ! What ever happened to deportation ?
They have to let them stick around for their hearings in court.
We need to start using closed-up military facilities and otehr secure facilities that have closed to house these illegals pending deportation.
Typical government horse sh*t.
Why? They were illegal.
I hope if I ever get pulled over by a cop for a burned out headlight or something, he'll accept my American citizens law exempt card.
Wait. Only non-citizens are law exempt.
(Gee, something seems soooo wrong with this picture. Could someone clue me in ? What am I missing here?)
Yep, a PR stunt indeed. It makes no difference that some of these people had fradulent SS #'s and the such.
And the freaking GOP wants us to vote for them in Novemeber?
I am this close to voting Liberatarian in the fall and for Kinky Freidmen for Texas Governor just as a protest vote.
If I get caught selling drugs, can I use the same excuse?
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