Thread: 15 illegal workers let go on I-76 by mistake

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3633899

Article Launched: 03/24/2006 1:00 AM MST

15 illegal workers let go on I-76
Miscommunication cited
By Kirk Mitchell
Denver Post Staff Writer

Fifteen admitted illegal Mexican immigrants may have been released by mistake after a traffic stop Thursday in northeast Colorado, according to a federal official.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Carl Rusnok said he had been told the release happened because of a simple miscommunication.

An ICE agent, who works out of Brush, said he thought a Colorado State Patrol dispatcher told him the traffic stop happened on Interstate 70 and not where it actually happened, on Interstate 76, Rusnok said. The ICE officer doesn't cover I-70 and that is why he said he couldn't respond to the traffic stop, Rusnok said.

But State Patrol Master Trooper Ron Watkins said the ICE agent told a State Patrol dispatcher that ICE had a manpower problem Thursday and told her the illegal immigrants should be released.

Rusnok said ICE is investigating what went wrong.

State Patrol Trooper John Lopez said he pulled over an eastbound 2000 Chevy Astro van at 12:16 p.m. 6 miles east of Sterling on I-76.

The stop came as the Colorado legislature debates a law that would punish drivers of illegal immigrants, and days after the State Patrol arrested more than 100 suspected illegal immigrants after six snowstorm-related accidents and two traffic stops.

Lopez said when he walked up to the van Thursday he saw numerous people crammed inside, including two women sitting on the floorboard in the front. Lopez opened the back of the van and found four people sitting on the floor behind the third seat, he said. In all, there were 12 men and three women, he said.

The 22-year-old driver from Durango, Mexico, admitted that they all were illegal immigrants, Lopez said.

The State Patrol dispatcher called ICE's Brush office and gave the location of the traffic stop, Watkins said. The dispatcher serves the I-76 corridor and wouldn't confuse it with I-70, he said.

Rusnok said the ICE employee may have misunderstood. Calls on I-70 would be handled by the Denver office.

"Even if it was I-70, they should have referred (CSP) to our Denver office," Rusnok said.

He said the Brush office did have the manpower to handle the call.

The immigrants, who told Lopez they were headed to Iowa City, Iowa, resumed their trip within 15 minutes after the stop, Lopez said. "We didn't have anything to hold them on," he said.

State Patrol Capt. Doug Copley said it wasn't the first time ICE didn't pick up illegal immigrants and troopers had to let them go. He said it seems like the releases are happening more often.

Rusnok said it's rare that illegal immigrants are released.

"We always go out of our way to respond to another law-enforcement call," Rusnok said. "Whenever we can't respond it's for a very good tactical reason."

But he said he didn't know exactly how many illegal immigrants have been released.

Of the illegal immigrants caught this week in Colorado, all but a few van drivers and criminal suspects already have been flown or driven by bus to border towns including El Paso and then escorted into Mexico, Rusnok said.

Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.

"We didn't have anything to hold them on," he said.

There's got to be some law about overloading a vehicle? Unsafe operating of a vehicle? Why was the van pulled over to begin with, if no violation had occured? I'm sure there's a record of the license plate, how hard would it be to track them down, since they told them they were going to Iowa City, Iowa? The truth? They just don't want to do anything.

How do 15 illegal Mexicans get released by mistake? There is no excuse for ICE to misunderstand that 15 illegals need to be picked up. This is what keeps happening almost everyday now.

Originally Posted by butterbean

How do 15 illegal Mexicans get released by mistake? There is no excuse for ICE to misunderstand that 15 illegals need to be picked up. This is what keeps happening almost everyday now.

The winds of change are blowing in, do not despair, butterbean,
we will prevail.