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.
"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?
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."
( Fred-Thompson-voiceover)
"Enforcing existing laws, George. Something you ought to think about."
( /Fred-Thompson-voiceover)
Looks out Sheriff Joe Arpaio (sp?)...
someone is gaining on you!
Great tactic!
“Sheriff Frank McKeithen, who created his Illegal Alien Task Force”
Way to go Sheriff!!!
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.
Now that’s good strategy right there.
Interesting and apparently effective tactic. Congrats to Sheriff McKeithen.
I’d like to know what ICE is doing with the names.
LOL...yeah, because it works
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.
That’s the message I got out of it.
I'd like to see where in the constitution its wrong for the police to chase people.
Builders are implicitly admitting that they rip off their customers by hiring un-insurable, non-bondable, un-identifiable identity theft criminals to do work.
“And builders are worried the crackdown will deprive them of the labor they need “
Pay a few bucks more per hour you greedy jackasses.
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.
“”Enforcing existing laws, George. Something you ought to think about.”
George ain’t running for President.
Neither is Fred.
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