DWI checkpoint reveals violations of immigration law

Kim Norvell St. Joseph News-Press
POSTED: 11:28 am CDT September 27, 2011UPDATED: 10:54 pm CDT September 27, 2011

A DWI checkpoint in St. Joseph last weekend turned up more immigration violations than drunken drivers.

Conducted Saturday evening into early Sunday morning, officials from the St. Joseph Police Department, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol detained seven individuals who were found to be in the country illegally.

Capt. Kevin Castle, spokesman for the Police Department, said 625 cars went through the 3½-hour checkpoint at Sixth and Atchison streets, where 100 individuals were questioned for either alcohol, warrant or identification violations. A total of 18 people were arrested, five of whom face charges for driving while intoxicated.

Seven others were arrested and booked in the Buchanan County Jail for not having a valid license to operate a motor vehicle.

They were then later found to be living in the country illegally; one was a fugitive who had previously been deported.

Mr. Castle said it’s not in local law enforcement’s jurisdiction to arrest those who appear to be in the country illegally, and it’s not in the local law enforcement’s database if they face immigration violation laws. After people are arrested for not having proper identification, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is notified. It’s then the federal agency’s decision whether the Buchanan County Jail can hold them on federal charges until ICE officials can take over their case.

“We require another arrestable offense before ICE is called for a detainer to hold them,â€