Thread: 7 illegal Mexican immigrants arrested at Dem. chair's house

http://www.zwire.com

09/21/2006
Seven illegal Mexican immigrants arrested at Dem. chair's home
By: James Madden

On Saturday, September 16 at around 2 p.m. Charlestown Police arrested seven illegal Mexicans at the residence of John M. Rosa of 81 Ross Hill Road. Rosa is the chairman of the Town Democratic Committee.

The story began when police answered a call from a Ross Hill Road resident that complained about extremely loud "Hispanic rap" coming from Rosa's residence.

According to police reports, prior to the police arriving at Rosa's residence, the disgruntled neighbor informed police that there were illegal immigrants living next door.

When police arrived to Rosa's home, loud music was coming from the garage in back where at least some of the illegal immigrants were gathered in a group.

Police told the group about the neighbor's complaint and requested the music be turned down.

Police then attempted to obtain identification from those gathered and no one produced a valid ID. According to a media release, "several of the parties verbally indicated that they were in this country illegally."

Seven Mexican nationals were then arrested and brought to the Charlestown Police Station for further investigation into their legal status.

Police said they were able obtain positive identification of the immigrants through fingerprinting, and then contacted Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) who confirmed that the seven immigrants are indeed in the United States illegally.

Once contacted, ICE authorized the release of the immigrants to Rosa, due to the fact that the immigrants have lived in the area for so long, and they've had no previous criminal issues with ICE.

Police also said that most of the immigrants live with Rosa and work for his construction company.

ICE told Charlestown Police that the next step would be for ICE to follow-up on the immigrants at a later date.

Oh Boy!!!!!

Once contacted, ICE authorized the release of the immigrants to Rosa, due to the fact that the immigrants have lived in the area for so long, and they've had no previous criminal issues with ICE.

Police also said that most of the immigrants live with Rosa and work for his construction company.

OMG, we need to make some serious noise over this! Someones head needs to roll. The police done everything right, but ICE obviously refuses to play the game according to the law. I'm sending a copy of this to my elected representatives in the House and Senate. This case does not pass the smell test. I'll bet Rosa contacted ICE before hand and fixed this deal.

http://www.projo.com

Federal agency reviewing immigrant status of 7 detained

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, September 21, 2006

BY MARIA ARMENTAL
Journal Staff Writer


CHARLESTOWN -- Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said yesterday they are reviewing the legal status of seven people who were detained by Charlestown police Saturday afternoon.

"We have not yet made a determination on the immigration status of the individuals," said Paula Grenier, an ICE spokeswoman.

Grenier said her office requested further information from the Police Department to determine the legal status of the seven Mexican nationals. The information has been received but no determination has been made, Grenier said. She declined to comment on what information was requested because the investigation is continuing.

The seven Mexican nationals -- five men, a woman and a baby -- were taken into custody Saturday on disorderly conduct charges after they failed to provide a valid U.S. identification card when the police responded to a loud noise complaint at a residence on Ross Hill Road, Sgt. Patrick J. McMahon said.

The complainant also said he believed there were illegal immigrants at the backyard gathering, McMahon said, who took the initial call.

McMahon said two of the men showed suspended Rhode Island drivers' licenses, three showed Mexican-issued international drivers' licenses that, McMahon said, are not valid IDs. The woman showed a valid Rhode Island ID card, but she had earlier told officers she was in the country illegally, McMahon said.

The seven individuals were later released and the police decided not to pursue the disorderly conduct charges, McMahon said.

The police had originally reported they were released at the behest of ICE, but Grenier said her office did not authorize their release.

"They were not being held at the request of ICE, so we did not authorize their release," Grenier said. "We just informed the police none of the individuals were wanted on any ICE warrants or had a criminal record."

McMahon said officials with the Law Enforcement Support Center told Charlestown officers Saturday afternoon none of the seven were registered in the system as having any form of permit to stay in the country legally, but but none had a criminal record.

The support center operates under the immigration agency and provides status and identity information to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

"They told us that they were not going to issue a detainer on the immigration violation. Therefore, there was nothing for us to do other than to release them," McMahon said. "We went by the information that the Law Enforcement Support Center gave us."

John M. Rosa, the owner of the home on Ross Hill Road, has disputed police accounts of the events and said he is considering legal action. Rosa is chairman of the Democratic Town Committee and past chairman of the Building Commission.

Rosa said officers targeted Hispanics at the gathering that was attended by at least 10 other people whom, he said, were not asked to show identification.

McMahon said there was no racial profiling. He said police records did not indicate any other people at the gathering other than the seven who were taken into custody.

Police Department officials talked to immigration officials and an immigration lawyer after the incident and were told Charlestown's response followed proper procedure, McMahon said. In-service training on how to handle immigration cases is being arranged, he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island is reviewing police records regarding the incident.

"They were not being held at the request of ICE, so we did not authorize their release," Grenier said. "We just informed the police none of the individuals were wanted on any ICE warrants or had a criminal record."

How is it that the police were able to identify these persons by a fingerprint record? They must have been in the system previously.

This is great. Makes me ashamed I was born a democrat!

Chairman Rosa doesn't even care about the law & starts
talking about racial profiling!?!?!? And now the ACLU wants
to get involved. Pretty soon the police will be afraid to help
anyone.

This is outrageous. He has just thumbed his nose at the system, and used illegals for his own personal gain. This guy not only needs to be bounced out of his position, he should also be arrested for harboring illegal aliens.

BTT

Ok, wait, the illegals are free and running around again and the ACLU is looking into this? Why?

And double ! Pardon me but wth is up with ICE letting them go! Hello!

If these illegals are working for Mr. Rosa, isn't that a violation of FEDERAL LAW? Where is the justice?

ENFORCEMENT NOW