Thread: Allard: ICE office coming to Greeley

Allard: ICE office coming to Greeley


Vanessa Delgado, (Bio) vdelgado@greeleytribune.com
April 27, 2007



After heated debate from opponents and supporters, plans to create a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office in Greeley are now official.

According to representatives from U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard's office, the Department of Homeland Security has completed its survey to determine the need for a Greeley office and the answer is yes.

"I am very happy with the results and perseverance of Sen. Allard's efforts," said Weld District Attorney Ken Buck, who has pursued plans for an ICE office since November 2005. "I think they are going to help Greeley police by deporting more gang members and help with issues of identity theft."

Rather than opening a new office, Homeland Security will relocate its existing office in Brush to Greeley, according to the department's survey report.

"Greeley is a larger city with gang activity and several worksite locations that need additional focus," the report reads. A Greeley office will expand coverage in northern Colorado by enabling joint operations between Operations Investigations and Detention and Removal Operations, according to the report.

Last July, Allard attached an amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that set money aside to evaluate the cost and need for a Greeley ICE sub-office and another office in Colorado Springs.

This caused an uproar within the Latino community, which has since come together to fight every effort to pursue such plans, claiming it would only fuel racism within the community.

"I am very disappointed that they decided to put an ICE office in Greeley," said Roberto Córdova, with El Voto Latino in Greeley. "I am sure that the Latino community will want all the facts that would warrant an ICE office to be revealed, and I am sure we will debate this latest move."

However, Buck and Allard maintain that an ICE presence would help Greeley enforcement agencies curtail crime and deport criminals determined to be in this country illegally.

"Having an ICE office in Greeley is a good thing, it has been needed for a while," Weld County Sheriff John Cooke said in an e-mailed response. "Homeland Security saw it as a need. The additional resources will be beneficial to the Greeley area due to the volume of foreign-born (inmates) at the jail and to help fight crimes like identity theft."

Cooke has said that at any time throughout the year, the jail houses between 100 to 125 inmates in other jails around Colorado because there isn't enough space in Weld's jail.

Carl Rusnok, director of communications for ICE's central region, said the agency recognizes that Greeley is a larger city with specific law enforcement needs and that ICE is reviewing the possibility of moving.

Steve Wymer, communications director with Allard's office, said an office may open as soon as this year.

Timeline

» November 2005 -- District Attorney Ken Buck proposes a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Office to Greeley City Council and asks that the council study the need for an office in Greeley.

» January 2006 -- The Greeley City Council declines, saying it is a federal issue and the debate over an ICE office ceases. Buck continues to work with Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., to push for an ICE office.

» July 2006 -- Allard attaches an amendment to the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Bill to require the assistant secretary for ICE to submit a report to Congress on the costs and need for creating ICE sub-offices in Greeley and Colorado Springs.

» November 2006 -- That measure is approved and money was set aside to evaluate offices in the two communities.

» April 2007 -- ICE officials complete the survey and determine there is a need to open a sub-office in Greeley and in Colorado Springs.


http://www.greeleytrib.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 7104270116

Greeley's city council didn't have the spine to show support for a local office in the wake of pressure and protests of illegal supporters. Well when push comes to shove our DA Ken Buck and Allard got the job done.

I say thanks to both Buck and Allard!

Good -- now illegal Aliens can get that in their head and make a choice.

WAY TO GO Senator ALLARD!!!! I am so PROUD!

We need to let ICE know we are behind them and commend them for doing their job no matter.



Continued ICE Raids and Arrests, in California and Colorado

Written by Andrea Olivos-Kah
Wednesday, 25 April 2007
On April 20th the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) arrested 13 undocumented workers at a Bay Area, Oakland California packaging factory. ICE identified the individuals after an audit of the Company’s employment records, finding that many employees used fraudulent documents and stolen Social Security Numbers to obtain jobs there. The company’s clients include the U.S. military.

On April 17, 2007, ICE arrested 3 employees and 19 undocumented workers for immigration violations during the execution of a search warrant at a Colorado potato plant. This raid was the result of an eleven-month investigation into the alleged illegal hiring practices at the Company. ICE unsealed the six-count November 2006 criminal indictment on April 16th.

The April 20th arrest of 13 undocumented workers took place at Eagle Bag Corporation, in Oakland, California. The Company makes packaging products and supplies sand bags to the military and bags used by the U.S. government for food distribution to Third World countries. Eagle Bag Corporation has contracts with clients in the agribusiness industry as well as with the U.S. military. The 13 workers who were arrested at the Eagle Bag Corporation were identified after ICE agents audited Eagle Bag's employment records. This audit revealed that 47 of the company's more than 70 employees submitted counterfeit immigration documents bearing fraudulent alien registration numbers to obtain their jobs. In addition, ICE agents determined that 33 of Eagle Bag's undocumented workers were using stolen SSNs. Seven of the 13 Eagle Bag employees were taken into custody for utilizing social security numbers (SSNs) of other individuals to obtain those jobs. Eagle Bag Corporation sought to comply with current hiring laws and is not facing any charges related to the worksite probe at this time. ICE agents will continue to investigate to determine whether to bring federal prosecution charges against those undocumented workers, for aggravated identity theft which is a violation that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison. Those workers are currently being held on administrative immigration violations, and those who are not charged criminally will be voluntarily returned to their native countries or placed in immigration removal proceedings.

In Monte Vista, Colorado, ICE agents arrested three employees and 19 undocumented workers at Worley & McCullough Inc., a potato farm and processing plant. Those arrests took place during the execution of a search warrant and charges included possession of false ID cards as well as aggravated ID theft. The 19 undocumented workers were arrested on administrative immigration violations while a search warrant was executed at the facility.

According to the criminal indictment unsealed by ICE, one of their own undercover agents posed as an undocumented worker and attempted to obtain employment at Worley & McCullough. He paid one of the Company’s employees for false identification documents which included a Permanent Resident Card (or “Green Card”), a SSN card, and an Arizona driver’s license. This Worley & McCullough employee also provided numerous other valid identification documents. Two other Company employees were charged with aiding and abetting the identification counterfeiting operation.

In addition, ICE agents also seized employee personnel files, four computers, a computer hard drive from the company surveillance camera, and various correspondence relating to hiring, recruiting, and identity documents during the raid.

For more information, go to the ICE website at: http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/index.htm


WAY TO GO ICE. :P :P :P

"I am very disappointed that they decided to put an ICE office in Greeley," said Roberto Córdova, with El Voto Latino in Greeley. "I am sure that the Latino community will want all the facts that would warrant an ICE office to be revealed, and I am sure we will debate this latest move."

I'll just bet you're disappointed Roberto. Well, I happen to be ecstatic. I would be even happier to see and ICE office on every corner, just like Starbucks.