ACLU weighs in on raid
By Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff
GHS
Mon Dec 10, 2007, 10:31 PM EST
dameden@cnc.com

milforddailynews



MILFORD -
A local American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts chapter says illegal immigrant raids, like the one that netted 15 people here last week, are "tearing apart families and communities."

In a statement, the Worcester County chapter yesterday urged federal immigration officials to comply with humanitarian and due process rights when enforcing immigration law. Its representatives plan to meet tomorrow with immigrant organizations to consider further steps.

"People detained by ICE deserve basic human rights protections, such as the right to a hearing before an immigration judge, legal representation, and, when necessary, interpretive services," said Ronal C. Madnick, director of the local chapter. "It's also critical to make provisions for the children and other dependents of those arrested."

Madnick said information is still being gathered about the warrant arrests made in Milford before dawn Friday, although he believes two women were among those hauled out of the house at 21 Jefferson St.

"There's a question of children involved," he said. "My understanding is now these people are down in Rhode Island, but that's not clear."

Boston's federal Immigration Customs Enforcement office spokeswoman Paula Grenier said details were unavailable yesterday about the illegal immigrants arrested on civil charges for violating immigration laws.

"We handle each case on a case-by-case basis," she said to address the concern of children potentially being left behind after the arrests. "We will review each significantly if there are humanitarian concerns."

Daniel Tacuri, an Ecuadorean also known as Daniel Tacouri Llivichuscha, who owns a roofing business at 44 Main St., is scheduled to face an immigration judge today in U.S. District Court in Worcester, a U.S. attorney's office spokesman said last night. Police say he was the target of the criminal investigation that led to the other arrests.

The other 14 illegal immigrants will face a federal immigration judge. All those arrested are in lockup pending the outcome of their cases, Grenier said.

"They do have due process," she said. "Each of them will get a hearing before a federal immigration judge."

Grenier said she couldn't respond to the specifics of the ACLU's complaints because she hadn't see them.

"We do not conduct random sweeps and raids," she said. "It's a criminal investigation. It's a targeted enforcement action."

At tomorrow morning's meeting, held at the carpenter's union office on Endicott Street, representatives of the local ACLU office are slated to meet with the Immigration Coalition of Worcester and the Massachusetts Immigrant Refuge and Advocate Coalition. The meeting was planned before Friday's sweep.

Madnick said it is not only this latest ICE operation that's a concern, but others before it, including the controversial March sweep of a New Bedford factory that netted 361 illegal immigrants and their employers.

The Milford arrests will "definitely be discussed," Madnick said. "We'll talk about what's happened, what we all know, try to find out if people have attorneys."