Posted: Sunday, 14 September 2008 9:09AM

Controversial ICE Raid in San Francisco


SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- A number of San Francisco city leaders are up in arms following a recent immigration raid in which a teenage girl was allegedly left home alone. However, immigration officials are disputing that account.
One thing that is for certain is that last Thursday night, Agents with ICE, or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arrived at a home on Hahn Street in the city's Visitacion Valley district. Inside they found six people, including three who were under federal deportation orders, and three who were found to be in the country illegally. They were all taken into custody.
KCBS’ Mark Seelig Reports

In addition, there was a 15-year-old girl at the home at the time, and her mother was one of those taken into custody. According to reports, the girl was interrogated, and left behind by ice agents, prompting outrage by Supervisors Sophie Maxwell, who represents the Visitacion Valley, and Tom Ammiano.

But ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley the reports can't be true.

"ICE would never knowingly leave a minor unattended," said Haley.

She says they surely didn't do it in this case. Instead, a female San Francisco police sergeant was brought in, and stayed with the girl until family members could arrive to pick her up.

The teenager reportedly told her teachers that immigration officials took all of her family away, prompting Superintendent Carlos Garcia to issue this statement, "I want to assure all of our families that our schools are a safe place for a child to turn for support. We do not ask anyone's legal status."

But Haley stresses that just because someone is a mother, it doesn't mean they are exempt from national law.

"These people are here in the country illegally, and they probably know what the consequences are going to be. People do have access to due process, but if they go to court and they are ordered by a judge to be deported, then they need to comply with those laws," said Haley.


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