Thread: Camp Hill district judge calls immigration on two couples getting married

Camp Hill district judge calls immigration on two couples getting married

Updated 1:49 PM; Posted Apr 19, 1:47 PM



A recent series of stories from ProPublica about an increased immigration crackdown said Magisterial District Judge Elizabeth Beckley called ICE on two couples who came before her to get married.


By Steve Marroni

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been going around arresting undocumented immigrants who have no criminal history at far higher rates in Pennsylvania than in other parts of the country, a recent investigation by ProPublica and the Philadelphia Inquirer found.

The report found numerous examples of state and local police who appear to be assisting ICE by, for example, detaining people stopped for traffic violations until ICE can confirm their status.

One of the more unusual examples of locals trying to assist ICE was a case of a Cumberland County district judge who twice called ICE about couples who came before her to be married, according to the report.

The district judge, Elizabeth Beckley, did not respond to numerous attempts from PennLive this week get her side of the story.

ProPublica said Beckley first preempted the wedding of a Tajik couple by calling ICE on the groom and his best man, who were led away in handcuffs.

She also called ICE, ProPublica said, when Alexander Curtis Parker and Krisha Amber Schmick showed up at her courthouse last May asking to be wed.

Here's an account of what happened from ProPublica:
"When the constable announced he would be detaining Parker for ICE, the couple was stunned. Though born in Guatemala, Parker, 21, had been adopted by American parents when he was 8 months old. At that moment, he was technically undocumented, with his green-card renewal being processed. But he does not speak Spanish or consider himself an immigrant, much less a deportable one."

(Editor's note: Parker is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. Permanent residents are given a "green card" that proves their status, but renewal of the green card does not affect their status as permanent residents.)


"Philadelphia ICE was in the midst of its second big enforcement operation of 2017, and federal agents rushed to the courthouse with their biometric identification device. At about the time Parker had hoped to be slipping a ring onto his wife's finger, he was reluctantly putting his own hand into a fingerprint machine.


"But in this case, as rarely happened last year, ICE backed off. The judge, who did not respond to calls, emails, or visits to her courthouse, apologized and offered to proceed with the nuptials. Having already paid the $45 fee, Parker and Schmick uncomfortably allowed the judge to marry them, and celebrated afterward at a LongHorn Steakhouse."

According to the account, the Parkers moved from Pennsylvania to Kissimmee, Fla. Parker said he felt he was safer there "from people like the judge the would try to do anything to have me deported."



http://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/04...dge_calls.html

Round 'em up, head 'em out. All of 'em. Don't wait for them to steal a job or commit a crime. GET THEM OUT OF HERE!!!