Thread: AZ: Immigration attorneys advising clients to avoid driving

Published: 03.27.2007

Immigration attorneys advising clients to avoid driving

CLAUDINE LoMONACO
Tucson Citizen

Tucson immigration attorneys are advising clients to avoid driving or riding in cars in light of stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws across the country.
Immigration attorneys are reporting an increase in the number of clients seeking help after being detained by the U.S. Border Patrol during routine traffic stops.
Patricia Mejia said she receives calls every other day from clients who were detained for a traffic violation.
"Some were stopped for something as minor as turning on a yellow light or swerving," she said. "Yeah, it's true, but does that mean now you deport me and my entire family? It seems extreme."
Detentions appear to have escalated in the past year, she said. Previously, drivers might have been detained, but now, she said many of her clients who were detained were passengers in the car. Now she advises her clients not to drive, or even ride in a car unless it's an emergency.
"I just tell them to take the bus or ride your bike," she said, "because if you're driving and you get pulled over, you are going to Mexico tonight."
Tucson police officers will call the Border Patrol if they suspect someone they come into contact with is in the country illegally, said Sgt. Mark Robinson, of the Tucson Police Department.
Immigration attorney Gloria Goldman said there seems to be an escalation in detention of people in the Tucson area and the environment has led to increased fear among many illegal immigrants.
"People are in a panic so they're coming to see me," said Goldman, who has seen an uptick in the number of people seeking her services.
Unfortunately, she said, many have no recourse under current immigration law and there is little she can do to help them.

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Comments on this Story Write a letter to the Editor2 Total Comments — See All Comments
1. Comment by dennis L. (#3805) — March 27,2007 @ 12:20PM

GOOD!!!!!!!!!


2. Comment by michael c. (#5225) — March 27,2007 @ 12:25PM

yes, deport all these illegal aliens!


http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/border/46238.php

What a concept: Break the law, suffer the concequences

Well at least if they take the advice, when they ride their bike while drunk they won't kill some innocent AMERICAN.

"Some were stopped for something as minor as turning on a yellow light or swerving," she said. "Yeah, it's true, but does that mean now you deport me and my entire family? It seems extreme."

hopping a fense and strolling into a country and violating laws that don't suite you, to me seems extreme. all criminals when caught cry foul.

ok now if they can do this in AZ why can't they do it in all fifty states? Hell maybe we'd actually be able to drive in Jersey without taking our life in our hands.

If we have one too many drinks and drive and happen to run a yellow light, chances are we'll get stopped. And if we're determined to be too drunk to drive, we go to jail and our whole family suffers. Then we have to pay high risk insurance for a few years...after we get our driver's license back, that is. Again, our whole family suffers, ostensibly because we turned on a yellow light. (But that wasn't the real reason our family is suffering, is it? They're really suffering because we broke the law by driving legally drunk in the first place.)

Hmmm...seems fair to me to send illegals home if they're caught while breaking the (another) law.

Tucson immigration attorneys are advising clients to avoid driving or riding in cars in light of stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws across the country.

Isn't this aiding and abetting illegal immigrants, helping them to avoid detection?

Originally Posted by JadedBaztard

Well at least if they take the advice, when they ride their bike while drunk they won't kill some innocent AMERICAN.

Great point Jaded!! and so true!!

"I just tell them to take the bus or ride your bike,"

Avoid the rush, boys. Might as well head on to the border.

This story was a breath of fresh air in my paper today.

Now I'd like them to start cracking down on all the cars driving with Sonora Mexico plates that have removed the year sticker (06, 07) to continuously drive around under the radar. There is no local enforcement of this violation. For several years, drivers have gotten away with driving around with the older, outdated Mexican plate, before the current one and I occasionally still see one of those on the street too. Our local cops appear to do nothing.