Thread: CA: Immigration raids lead to fear, distrust of police

http://www.fresnobee.com/384/story/26436.html

Immigration raids lead to fear, distrust of police
By JULIANA BARBASSA
01/26/07 18:40:49


During a series of Contra Costa County immigration raids, federal agents identified themselves in a misleading way to gain entry into homes and detained people other than their intended targets, immigrant advocates say.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents' use of the word "police" during the raids, which yielded more than 200 arrests last week, is leading to mistrust between immigrants and local law enforcement, said advocates who held a news conference Friday to speak against the practice.

Agents also detained individuals other than those they set out to arrest, stopping people on their way to work or parents about to pick up their children, spreading fear among immigrants in the county, they said.

The enforcement action in Contra Costa County, part of the yearlong national Operation Return to Sender, resulted in the arrest of 119 targeted immigrants and 94 other undocumented immigrants they encountered in the process. About half were Mexican citizens; the rest were from Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, India, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and Fiji.

Nationally, more than 13,000 immigrants have been arrested since the operation was launched in June 2006.

ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley said agents were correct to call themselves "police," explaining they are federal police and that they often fully identify themselves once they're inside homes.

She also said agents have the right to investigate people they encounter other than their specific targets, if they have reason to suspect they are in the country illegally.

If individuals found during someone else's arrest process are found to be undocumented, they are also subject to arrest and removal, Haley said.

But the sweeps have left many immigrants afraid to venture out of their homes, or talk to police, said Jessica Peregrina, who works at the House of Hope, an outreach program at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Richmond.

"They don't want to take their kids to school, or go out to buy groceries," she said.

Richmond City Councilman John Marquez said he understood immigration officials had a job to do, but he wished they could go about it differently.

"When these sweeps occur, they create a lot of fear, a lot of mistrust," he said. "I hope we can develop a relationship so they can do their jobs with more sensitivity."

http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_026210832.html

Jan 26, 2007 6:38 pm US/Pacific
E. Bay Immigrant Advocates Angry Over Raids
Uniforms, Methods Of ICE Agents At Issue

(CBS 5 / AP / BCN) RICHMOND Immigrant advocates say federal agents' use of the word "police" during immigration raids to gain entry to homes is leading to mistrust between immigrants and local law enforcement.

The advocates also say Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have also detained individuals other than those being sought by National Fugitive Operations Program, a nationwide enforcement action.

Christina Espinosa of Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization, also known as CCISCO, a group of 25 religious organizations, said the tactics of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are jeopardizing efforts by Richmond police to gain the confidence of the city's immigrant community.

Espinosa said her group and others have been working with Police Chief Chris Magnus on a community policing program aimed at giving immigrants trust in local police.

But she said, "All our efforts are being jeopardized" by the tactics of ICE agents because there's now an atmosphere of fear and mistrust in the community.

Espinosa said agents are dressed in new dark uniforms that make them look like police officers and they use the word "police" to gain access to homes.

She said CCISCO and other groups will hold a community meeting on Sunday to discuss ICE's policies.

Espinosa said that among those promising to attend are Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, several City Council members and representatives from the Richmond Police Department and the office of Rep George Miller, D-Martinez.

"We want them to put pressure on ICE to stop their aggressive approach," she said.

Espinosa said another purpose of the meeting is to let immigrants know their legal rights.

"If an immigration agent has a warrant, they should open their door for them but if there's isn't a warrant they should not open their door," she said.

ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley says ICE agents were correct to call themselves "police," explaining they are—indeed—federal police and that they often fully identify themselves once they're inside homes.

She said one reason agents use the word "police" is that many immigrants "may have limited understanding of English" but they understand the word "police."

Haley said, "After their initial contact with someone, agents may elaborate on who they are."

Haley denied Espinosa's allegation that agents are engaging in new tactics that are deceitful. "We're doing things the same way we always have," she said. "There is no effort to misrepresent ourselves."

Haley said she's not aware of agents having new uniforms that look like police uniforms and said the primary targets of immigration agents are immigration fugitives who have orders to be deported. Many of them have criminal histories, she said.

"We're a nation of immigrants but we're also a nation of laws," said Haley. "Arrests are not made randomly," and are only made after an order is issued by a judge.

ICE agents "simply enforce orders" from judges, Haley said.

She also said agents have the right to investigate people other than their specific target.

Richmond police spokesman Lt. Mark Gagan said, "This is a complex issue that we will not be able to deal with without sitting down with all the parties involved."

The community meeting will be held at St. Mark's Catholic Church at 159 Harbour Way in Richmond at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Stop Global WHINING!

If you come legally, welcome. If you are not, GO home!

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cct ... 560193.htm

Posted on Sat, Jan. 27, 2007



Immigration push has Latinos wary
RICHMOND: Deportation effort creates tension in community and causes stir among activists, business leaders
By Kimberly S. Wetzel
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Calling recent immigration sweeps in the region a "fishing expedition," members of West Contra Costa's Latino community said Friday that tactics used by federal officials were immoral and brought a "reign of terror" to the community.

Immigrant rights groups joined Latino public officials and business leaders Friday at St. Mark's Church in Richmond to say that federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents have purposely and unfairly targeted Latinos, misidentified themselves as police officers and illegally arrested people who are not on the deportation list.

"There has been a lot of fear," said the Rev. Ramiro Flores of St. Mark's. "We have lost the trust of the community."

ICE agents have knocked on doors of several people with deportation orders in Richmond and Concord in the past couple of weeks, in some cases detaining other household residents who could not show documentation.

That is within the realm of what immigration officials can do, ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley said.

Several people charged this week that agents have gone beyond household arrests to detain people on the street, which is not allowed.

One woman at the St. Mark's news conference Friday who declined to give her name said her uncle was stopped by authorities while riding his bike on his way to work and later deported to Mexico. Haley said she has not heard of anyone being arrested while riding a bike.

"My kids were very afraid," she said. "They said, 'Why did they take my uncle?' It's very sad."

Haley said ICE agents have acted within the law to identify themselves as police officers and have not illegally arrested anyone. She said officials knock on the doors only of targeted individuals and do not accost people at random.

"Our arrests are targeted and return to sender," Haley said in a telephone interview. "We do not make random arrests, pulling people off the streets."

The targets have not just been Latinos, Haley said.

"We certainly do not target people by nationality," she said. "People are targeted because they are not following orders from an immigration judge to depart the country."

Friday's news conference was part of a concerted effort in recent days to put the pressure on ICE and get lawmakers to take notice. A community forum with a representative from the office of U.S. Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, is scheduled for Sunday, when leaders hope to draft an official response to ICE and call for lawmakers to change or clarify policies on sweeps.

Latino community members said Friday that many now refuse to go outside for fear they will be arrested. Richmond City Councilman John Marquez said there has been a noticeable drop in business along the 23rd Street corridor, and Meadow Homes Elementary School in Concord had a significant dip in attendance after the sweeps last week.

West Contra Costa school district spokesman Paul Ehara said that absentee rates at Chavez and Downer elementaries -- both with large numbers of Latino students -- were higher than usual last week.

"They don't want to go outside; they don't want to send their kids to school; they don't want to go to the grocery store," said Richmond resident Jessica Peregrina. "This is really affecting our community."

Richmond High School Principal Orlando Ramos said about 150 fewer students than normal showed up for classes in the first couple of days after the sweeps. He said he has heard students at the mostly Latino school talking in the halls about how concerned they are. Fliers have been distributed outlining students' rights in the event ICE officials knock on their doors.

"The environment is definitely tense," Ramos said. "A lot of my students don't know where to go for information. They're very scared. Living in Richmond is stressful enough for these kids, and now you put this on top of it."

Reach Kimberly S. Wetzel at 510-262-2798 or kwetzel@cctimes.com.

If you gO

• WHAT: A community forum with police, church officials, immigrant organizations and a member of U.S. Rep. George Miller's staff to discuss recent federal immigration sweeps

• WHEN: 3 p.m. Sunday

• WHERE: St. Mark's Church, 159 Harbour Way, Richmond

Several people charged this week that agents have gone beyond household arrests to detain people on the street, which is not allowed.

I would like for them to show where Ice is NOT ALLOWED to arrest illegal aliens no matter where they are caught and why! This is getting beyond absurd.