Here's a real shocker.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/ ... gmaria.txt

Ayon-Torres Not Yet in Mexico
This article was published on Wednesday, February 7, 2007 6:03 PM CST in News
By Lori Harrison-Stone
The Morning News

ROGERS -- A Mexican woman involved in the Oct. 20 shooting of a Rogers police officer has yet to report to her home country, despite a federal order to do so by Jan. 22.

Temple Black, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New Orleans, said this week that Maria Ayon-Torres has not yet reported in as required in her voluntary deportation orders.

After her arrest following the shooting, Ayon-Torres was held in Memphis, Tenn., at the regional immigration court facilities until Nov. 21. She was then released on a "voluntary departure" order with a 62-day limit that expired Jan. 22.

Elaine Komis, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Washington office, said the voluntary departure order allows Ayon-Torres to return to the United States through legal means at any time after her departure, but only if voluntary departure orders are followed. There are time limitations on when someone can return to the United States if they are officially deported, Komis said.

If Ayon-Torres hasn't reported to Mexico, Immigration and Customs Enforcement will issue a warrant for her arrest, said Rod Reyes, resident agent in charge at the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. He said Wednesday that Ayon-Torres should have turned in documentation at the border by Jan. 22.

He doesn't know if a warrant has been issued for her arrest. That information, Reyes said, would have to come from the Detention and Removal Division of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Fort Smith. A staff member there said no one is available until Friday to state whether a warrant has been issued for Ayon-Torres.
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Rogers Police Chief Steve Helms said Wednesday that his officers haven't seen Ayon-Torres, and he doesn't know if she is still in the area. He hadn't been informed that she had not reported her arrival in Mexico.

"It's a sad state of affairs when somebody is directed and ordered but doesn't do so," Helms said. "Unfortunately, it's kind of what we have seen and what we've been trying to address with deportation."

The level of information provided to Rogers officers about the status of illegal immigrants arrested in the city or illegal immigrants likely to be in the city would improve if Rogers is approved for the 287(g) program through Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Helms said. There's no such sharing of information now, he said.

Mayor Steve Womack requested in November that Rogers police officers be certified and trained through the program that provides local law enforcement similar authority to that of federal immigration officers. The officers' level of authority would depend on details in a memorandum of understanding the city hopes to enter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Womack and Helms have said the plan isn't for the city to have officers patrolling for illegal immigrants, but to have officers with authority to act on immigration issues if illegal immigrants are detained by the department.

Ayon-Torres was taken into custody after the October shooting, but didn't face criminal charges related to the accidental shooting of undercover officer Brian Culpepper. She also did not face any drug charges related to the search warrant executed at her 703 E. Mimosa Place home that resulted in the shooting. She was released to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in November.

Jose and Ricardo Mora, brothers, and Carlos Vega each face drug charges generated by the undercover investigation. Jose Mora and Carlos Vega remained Wednesday in the Benton County Jail with multiple drug charges, in addition to holds on them by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ricardo Mora, who didn't have an immigration hold, was released on a $76,480 bond Nov. 12.

Culpepper continues to recover at home. Helms wasn't sure Wednesday when Culpepper will be able to return to the force.

AT A GLANCE

Voluntary Deportation

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security describes voluntary deportation as the departure of an alien from the United States without an order of removal. Failure to depart within the time granted results in a fine and a 10-year bar to several forms of relief from deportation.

Homeland Security reports that 965,538 people accepted voluntary deportation from the United States in 2005.

Source: Department of Homeland Security Web site at www.dhs.gov