Thread: MD-Protesters ask, stop flagging alleged illegal immigrants

Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Protesters ask Prince George's to stop flagging alleged illegal immigrants

Possible deportation of Langley Park woman puts focus on involvement in federal initiative
by Daniel Valentine and Elahe Izadi

Forty-five people marched Monday outside the Prince George's County Department of Corrections in protest of the county's policy to hand over detainees who may be in the country illegally to federal officials.

The protest was organized by the immigrant advocacy group Casa of Maryland after 26-year-old Florinda Faviola Lorenzo-Desimilian, a married mother of three young children, was arrested for a misdemeanor and flagged for possible deportation.

Lorenzo-Desimilian was arrested April 20 for allegedly selling prepaid phone cards without a license from her Langley Park home. When she was taken to the corrections center, the Guatemalan native's fingerprints were sent to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which flagged her for allegedly overstaying two work visas.

The county turned Lorenzo-Desimilian over to ICE, and she has since been released pending a deportation hearing. Her supporters fear she will be deported and separated from her children and husband.

Lorenzo-Desimilian's arrest has put a spotlight on the county's involvement in the Secure Communities initiative, a federal cooperation program the county joined in December. Under the program, the county agrees to share fingerprints of charged suspects with the federal immigration department, which can screen for immigration violations. As of April 1, 109 people arrested in the county had been handed over to ICE officials.

"Secure Communities destroys families!" the crowd of protesters chanted Monday as they carried signs.

The protest included an appearance by Lorenzo-Desimilian, who attended with her husband and children.

"I just want to share what has happened to me," she told the crowd in Spanish as her husband comforted her. "It was very hard for us to be separated from my children. We have to fight for this so it doesn't happen to any other families."

Her husband, Rafael Similian, said his oldest daughter had her birthday while her mother was in jail last week, and the separation has already hurt his family. He said they have lived in the United States for seven years.

"She was crying and crying and crying, from the moment she woke up ... and she would get on the bus [for school] and cry," he said in Spanish of his daughter.

Protestors are calling for the county to end its involvement in the program. Three other Maryland counties — Queen Anne, Frederick and St. Mary's — also participate in Secure Communities. Neighboring Montgomery County does not participate in the program, and only sends names of suspected immigrants charged with violent crimes or weapons-related offenses to federal officials.

Protestors complained the program contradicts an older Prince George's policy to only turn over violent offenders.

"She's not a threat," said Del. Victor Ramirez (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly, one of the lawmakers calling for her release. "Should you really be deporting a nonviolent mother of three? There are much bigger problems we could be using our resources for."

County police spokesman Maj. Andy Ellis said Lorenzo-Desimilian was one of 10 people arrested by the county gang unit this year while looking into illegal home businesses in Langley Park. Ellis said home-trading in phone cards, food, alcohol and other goods have led to three homicides so far this year since the businesses sometimes sell alcohol and have connections to street gangs.

Ellis said he did not believe Lorenzo-Desimilian sold alcohol and did not believe she had any gang ties, but he said police have to enforce the law.

"On its face, it seems like having this woman arrested is unfair," Ellis said. "But you have to look at the big picture of what we're trying to do in Langley Park."

"We have many immigrants that come here," he added. "We don't want them to become victims of crime themselves."

Ellis said the screening policy is an issue for the county corrections department, not the police. Corrections Director Mary Lou McDonough declined to comment Monday and watched the protest from inside the department as the crowd called for her.

"Mary Lou! Shame on you!" protestors chanted.

Casa officials said they are calling for a meeting with County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) and want the county to stop participating in Secure Communities. They said they have not received a reply.

Two county executive spokesmen declined to comment, referring questions to immigration officials. ICE officials did not return calls for comment.

Brad Botwin, executive director of the anti-immigration group Help Save Maryland, said he supports the county's screening policy.

"There are rules to the game here," he said. "It's a sad tale, but she's going to have to go back to where she came from. ... If she wants to take her children with her, that's her decision."

American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Ajmel Quereshi warned unless the county drops the screening program, more nonviolent offenders are going to be deported.

"They say it's for the violent offenders, but it's really not," Quereshi said. "There are more people caught on traffic violations that will get caught than anything."

E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.


http://www.gazette.net/stories/04272010 ... _32589.php

Oh, boo hoo. I broke the law but I should have special treatment because I'm Latina. Ooop, I'm illegal so I broke two laws. Boo hoo.