Thread: El Paso: Agents bust 68 illegal immigrants in downtown hotel

Agents bust 68 illegal immigrants in downtown hotel

May 31, 2007 05:09 PM PDT

EL PASO, Tx. - Federal agents busted dozens of undocumented immigrants staying in a Downtown hotel.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials descended on the Gateway Hotel at 104 South Stanton around 12:30 this afternoon.

ICE Spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa tells ABC-7 that agents received a tip Thursday morning that more than 50 illegal immigrants were staying at the hotel. A short time later, agents with the Border Enforcement and Security Taskforce (BEST) arrived and led several men and women into the back of immigration vans.

BEST is made up of agents and officers from The Border Patrol, ICE, and the El Paso County Sheriff's Department.

Initially, officials stated they found around 50 immigrants, however, the number eventually totaled 68.

ABC-7 has learned most of the immigrants are Mexican. Two of the immigrants were from Nicaragua and three were under the age of 18.

ICE officials believe many of them were waiting to be transported to the interior of the United States.

Zamarripa tells ABC-7, "This is traditionally the time of year where we see a lot of illegal aliens crossing the border...as the summer approaches our agents get really busy with this type of activity."

According to ABC-7 archives, this is the third time ICE agents have found undocumented immigrants at that hotel in the last 15 months. In total, 200 immigrants have been found at the hotel.

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=6595322&nav=AbC0

You know catching those guys is just the tip of the iceberg. Sadly, many of them manage to escape capture.

Bet the horel owner wasn't happy, taking his paying guests away. You can just bet he knew they were illegal. Bet he makes quite a chunk of change off those people.

Hotel Where Illegals Found not Responsible
By MaryAnn Martinez 6/01/07
Immigration officials raid the Gateway Hotel and find 68 illegal immigrants. Last year, 51 illegal immigrants were found there, too.

Hotel owner Soneu Chon says after the first raid, his lawyer told him to check every guests I.D. Chon says that's all he can legally do.

"If I check their legal status, I could be charged with some kind of discrimination," says Chon.

Hotels and landlords are not currently required to check a person's legal status in the country before doing business with them. In fact, immigration officials say Chon could be sued if he began asking customers for documentation. Although Chon says he's never knowingly harbored illegal immigrants, which would be against the law, he can't explain why his hotel has been busted more than once.

"I'm not a criminal," says Chon. "The location (is a) possible problem, but as far as I know, if you check any other hotel which is not very expensive, I'm sure they can find (illegals there.)"

Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it currently has no plans to charge the hotel.


http://www.kdbc.com/news/local/7799001.html