Thread: FL-Foster care agency faulted for calling immigration agent

Posted on Wednesday, 03.25.09
Foster care agency faulted for calling immigration agents
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
cmarbin@MiamiHerald.com

Immigrant advocates are calling on Florida child welfare administrators to repudiate the actions of a private Naples foster care agency they say snatched an infant and toddler from their mother and grandparents -- and then turned the family in to immigration agents.

Advocates claim that Family Preservation, a Collier County child welfare group under contract with the Department of Children & Families, reported 19-year-old Karen Arriaga and her parents, who are undocumented migrants, to immigration agents, and then arranged for the family to be rounded up at their offices.

''Family Preservation, instead of trying to bring families together, is destroying this family, tearing it apart,'' Maria Rodriguez, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said at a Wednesday morning news conference.

''Who's next? Nurses? Teachers?'' asked Rodriguez.

John de Leon, a Miami attorney representing both the Mexican and Guatemalan consulates, said the actions of the foster care agency will have a chilling effect on the state's ability to protect children, because migrants will hide from authorities rather than seek or accept help.

''They are putting their very mission in danger by these actions,'' de Leon said. ``Given the demographics of the state of Florida, this sends a very dangerous message. Hispanics not only live in South Florida, they live in all areas of the state and work in all areas of the state and raise families in all areas of the state.''

Karen Arriaga's two sons, ages 1 and 2, were sheltered by DCF following a confirmed report that she had neglected them, said de Leon. In mid-February, the teen was asked to come to Family Preservation's offices for a supervised visit with the youngsters. There, de Leon said, she was detained by either Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

On Feb. 12, Karen Arriaga, who lives in Bonita Springs, was charged by the Collier County Sheriff's Office with one count of child neglect without great bodily harm, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records.

A week later, on Feb. 23, Victor Arriaga, Karen's father and a Mexican migrant, and his wife were told to report to Family Preservation's offices for a visit with their grandsons, Victor Arriaga said. The boys' grandmother, Elida Arriaga, who is from Guatemala, had the infant in her arms and was playing with him when social workers asked about the couple's immigration status.

''My wife had the child in her arms, and they took the child away from her,'' Arriaga said at the news conference. 'My wife did not want to let go of the child, but she had to let him go. The officer said, `If you don't shut up and do what we say, we will bring you to Miami, both of you.' ''

Arriaga's wife remains in federal immigration detention, said de Leon. Karen Arriaga remains in the Collier County Jail. Victor Arriaga was released by ICE, though he does not know why, he said.

Erin Gillespie, a DCF spokeswoman in Naples, flatly denies that her department, or any private agency under DCF contract, alerted immigration agents to the Arriaga family's status.

''Absolutely under no circumstances did anyone from the Department of Children & Families or our contract providers contact any immigration officials regarding this family,'' Gillespie said. ``I have spoken with the casemanagers myself, along with other people in the agency. We know for sure that no one at the agency contacted immigration.''

Gillespie acknowledges, however, that both DCF and its contractors are required to cooperate with both state and federal authorities, and do provide information to both ICE and the Collier County Sheriff's Office -- which is deputized by ICE to enforce federal immigration laws.

Caseworkers, contacted by the Sheriff's Office, most likely provided deputies with the time and place of the family's visits with the two children, Gillespie acknowledged.

''We would have to tell them,'' she said.



http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-d ... 66912.html

''Who's next? Nurses? Teachers?'' asked Rodriguez.

Uhh...if they are in this country ILLEGALLY then yes, they might be next!

They should stop blaming everyone but themselves. It is their own fault for being illegal and no one else. I guess they are learning the consequences of their actions the hard way.

Deport yourself before being made to deport.

They're missing the point, that family was already separated by the actions of the druggie mama. Her parents obviously cared more for themselves than reporting abuse, they could have taken the kids from their junkie daughter - but they didn't.

All illegal aliens MUST be reported to ICE!

An pro-illegal invader zealot missing the point! What a surprise!! These zealots could careless about that or any other logic or reason concerning this issue. You know that M!
They are only concerned that one of God's children was reported to immigration authorites and then deported!

This is where it all started

Bonita teen charged with failing to care for premature baby
By Naples Daily News staff report
7:20 p.m., Friday, February 13, 2009

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/feb ... n-six-mon/

NAPLES — Investigators for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 19-year-old woman on Thursday saying she failed to properly care for a baby that was born premature, and didn’t take the child to his doctor’s appointments.

Karen Elizabeth Arriaga, whose address in Bonita Springs was not released, was charged with child neglect without great harm.

Accorrding to an arrest report, Arriaga was supposed to be caring for a baby boy who was born premature with undeveloped lungs in April 2008. The child spent four months in neonatal intensive care, and is required to be on oxygen at all times.

Between Sept. 9 and Oct. 14 the baby had 16 scheduled doctors appointments, but was only taken to two. Reports say Arriaga consistently neglected to obtain oxygen for the baby, and did not know how to care for the child.

The Florida Department of Children and Families removed the child in early December and took the child the hospital for care, reports said.

Additional Story

Bonita Springs immigrants held at DCF visit seek release
Others may be wary to report abuses

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 9903240356

A Bonita Springs grandfather targeted by immigration officials during a visit with his grandsons in foster care is on supervised release after appearing before an immigration officer Monday in Miami.

John de Leon, a Miami lawyer, was referred Victor Arriaga's case by the Mexican Consulate. He's helping Arriaga's wife, Elida, who is also undocumented and remains detained.

De Leon said mixing immigration and the Department of Children and Families system will make immigrants who are here illegally wary of reporting child abuse and cooperating as witnesses.

"These grandparents were cooperating with DCF, and they were double-crossed," de Leon said. "It creates a level of distress that could be devastating to families in the state of Florida."

De Leon plans to call upon federal lawmakers for help in obtaining Elida Arriaga's release. A press conference in front of DCF offices in Miami is in the works this week, he said.

In late February, Collier County sheriff's authorities detained Elida Arriaga after a case manager arranged a visit for the couple to see their two grandsons.

Some Collier deputies have immigration enforcement powers.

A Children's Network of Southwest Florida spokeswoman has said the case manager, Pam Stevens, did not reach out to authorities, though the couple's friend, Veronica Rodriguez, said she asked her about the pair's legal status.

The network is contracted by the department to run foster care.

Victor Arriaga said authorities freed him to care for the couple's three children, ages 12, 15 and 17.

Their 19-year-old daughter, Karen Arriaga, was arrested in mid-February on a charge of child neglect. DCF closed its investigation the month before with evidence of threatened harm and medical neglect for one child and threatened harm for another. Her sons, 1 and 2, have been in foster care, Victor Arriaga said.

Erin Gillespie, a local DCF spokeswoman, said the agency's policy is not to report immigration status, but it has to cooperate with law enforcement.

"There's no way for us to tell them how to do their job," Gillespie said.

Asked if she felt the events could discourage illegal immigrants from coming forward, she said: "I hope not. ... People are mandated by law to report child abuse."

On Monday, Victor Arriaga said he's grateful to be on supervised release, but now hesitant to work with other officials such as those in the schools.

"It's unjust what the case manager did," Victor Arriaga said. "Not everyone's the same, but we've seen what can happen."


It’s amazing how these people go from criminals to victims in as little as three news stories.

Arriaga said at the news conference. 'My wife did not want to let go of the child

Fine example of an illegal alien holding an anchor baby as a shield against deportation. Adults hiding behind a baby.

Anchor Babies are Exploited Children.

Even more disgusting is the fact that their underage daughter Karen had anchor babies that could hold two generations of illegal aliens here.

Wonder why the underage, unmarried mother rate is so high?

Dixie

Posted on Wednesday, 03.25.09
Immigrants held during DCF visit
By KELLI KENNEDY

MIAMI -- Elida Arriaga was holding her 1-year-old grandson during a routine visit with a state social worker when local deputies told her she was in the country illegally and led her away, immigration advocates said Wednesday.

The deputies were acting under a federal program that allows local authorities to enforce immigration laws, and they had been given the location of the visit after they inquired about the family's immigration status. The child's mother had been detained in the same fashion a week earlier.

Elida's husband, Victor, said at a news conference Wednesday that authorities essentially used his grandson and the boy's 2-year-old brother as bait. Social workers gave the family a time and place to see the children, who have both been in state custody since their mother was charged with child neglect in February. Deputies knew about each visit and were ready to act.

Victor Arriaga hasn't seen his daughter and wife since each was taken into custody.

"We were asking why are these (deputies) here and what does our immigration have to do with us visiting our grandchildren," he said through a translator at the Miami news conference. "We came as we often did. We sat down to play with the children and they asked if we had our immigration papers."

Critics say the arrangement encourages racial profiling and deters immigrants from cooperating with social workers, which could lead to the underreporting of child abuse.

Authorities and state child welfare officials said the sheriff's office had been alerted to the Arriaga's case because of the neglect charge against the children's mother, at which point deputies inquired about the family's immigration status.

But the Arriagas feel that they were set up. They were visiting their 1- and 2-year-old grandchildren in mid-February in Collier County where they live when sheriff's deputies arrested 40-year-old Elida, who's from Guatemala, in front of the children. Victor said he was told it was because they were in the country illegally.

The children were in state custody because their mother Karen, 19, had been charged with child neglect. The family had regular visits with the two boys, at a location and times determined by state social workers.

The sheriff's office confirmed that deputies acting under the immigration program detained the women during visits with the children. Victor, who's from Mexico and isn't in custody, was told he wasn't detained because he has to care for two other children.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families, which contracts with A Children's Network of Southwest Florida, said they are required by law to contact local authorities when a neglect case is of a criminal nature. DCF spokeswoman Erin Gillespie wouldn't elaborate on the Arriaga case except to say the alleged neglect was medical in nature.

Collier County is part of a federal program, known as 287(g), that lets local police enforce federal immigration law.

"That's one of the first things we do is check whether they're citizens or not. And that's the first thing we do with any case, even a routine traffic stop," said Kristi Lester, a spokeswoman with the Collier County Sheriff's Department.

DCF says the sheriff's office "contacted the contract agency and the information was provided."

DCF always cooperates if deputies inquire about a family, such as their birth certificates or the time and location of a scheduled visitation. "We would certainly give that information and they would certainly be there to arrest them," Gillespie said.

Immigration advocates called the practice racial profiling.

"If this was another family, a white family, they would not be asking for immigration papers,"said Maria Rodriguez, executive director of Florida Immigrant Coalition.

Rodriguez and other advocates worry this kind of cooperation between social service workers and immigration authorities will deter immigrants from reporting child abuse.

ICE officials are rewriting the rules of the program in response to a federal report that found the program lacks clear goals about what kinds of criminals should be targeted.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida ... 67290.html

''Family Preservation, instead of trying to bring families together, is destroying this family, tearing it apart,'' Maria Rodriguez, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said at a Wednesday morning news conference.

No one is tearing these families apart. Illegal alien families can stay together in their own country.