Thread: FL: Groups meet for clarity on new immigration partnership

Groups meet for clarity on new immigration partnership
By Katy Bishop

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Tensions were high at times during a meeting between immigrant groups and representatives of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, but by the end they agreed on at least one thing — more communication is essential.

The Farmworker Association of Florida asked the Sheriff’s Office to meet with Immokalee groups and community members to talk about the recently announced partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said Adan Labra, local coordinator for the association, before the Thursday meeting.

The partnership with ICE is distancing the immigrant community from the police, said Tirso Moreno, Farmworker Association coordinator. People are afraid to report crimes, he said, because they fear that contact with the Sheriff’s Office means they will be reported to ICE.

About 40 people gathered at the Farmworker Association office in Immokalee to ask Captain Tom Davis, minority and ethnic affairs division, and Lt. Mike Dolan questions about who will be targeted by the new initiative.

“People are very scared and confused,â€

ICE should do its job which is to send people who have illegally entered this country back. That, among other things, is what they are mandated to do, what they are hired to do and paid to do. Anything less is a breach of trust with the American people.

I'm tired of hearing whining from lawbreakers.

I have lived in SW Fl. for a long time.No one gave much thought to the migrants and it was mostly peaceful here until a few years ago it seemed the flood gates had been opened and poured thousands of illegals into SW Fl.

I am still wondering how and why this happened ?? Since that time crime has been on the rise,drunk driving injuries & deaths,just yesterday there were 2 shooting incidents involving Illegals.Today they discovered a 2 story grow house in a plush neighborhood with elaborate growing facilities.

There was a baby kidnapped a few months ago and everyone was up in arms doing massive searches then the truth came out...the parents were illegals and they had not paid their smugglers so the smugglers took their baby...he has never been found.

Not hardly a day goes by without some incident involving Illegals.

I think the sheriff is trying to walk a tight rope to keep them calm and to keep them from protesting etc. but I believe he wants to remove all illegals.

Personally I am real tired of the "we are afraid to report crime for fear of being deported".I know it is a problem but it also is being used to keep police from deporting illegals who have not commited a serious crime since illegals don't consider identity theft a serious crime !

I hope the sheriff does not cave to their demands.......