Published Friday, February 27, 2008

Advocates protest arrest of immigrant
MILLARD K. IVES
Staff Writer

TAVARES -- Immigrant advocates filed a public records request with the Lake County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, demanding details of a proposed plan the department has to give more power to deputies to screen illegal aliens.

The filing came shortly after the local ACLU and other groups protested the plan Thursday morning in front of Lake County's administration building in Tavares on Main Street, a protest sparked by the arrest and subsequent detainment of a Honduran native.

Rita Cote, 23, was taken into custody by Tavares police last week during a domestic-assault call in which she was trying to help interpret between officers and her sister, the latter the alleged victim -- before officers discovered Cote was in the country illegally and took her into custody instead.

Cote, wife of American-born 37-year-old Robert Cote, and mother of three U.S.-born children, was held for more than a week before the sheriff's office realized it and called immigration authorities.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and advocates said Cote's arrest was uncalled for; the prolonged detention violated her rights; and denounced what they said were profile-based arrests that have resulted in more illegal immigrants being detained for deportation.

And, they also want police to refrain from doubling as immigration officials. Joyce Hamilton Henry, director of the ACLU Central Region, said the tough enforcement approach takes away police resources at fighting crime.

"We want law enforcement to spend more time enforcing criminal matters, not immigration matters," said Hamilton, standing in front of a small crowd holding picket signs.

Cote was arrested Feb.16 when Tavares police responded to a domestic-assault call involving her sister and the sister's boyfriend. She apparently was the only English-speaking resident in the home and served as an interpreter -- and the only one to hand over her identification card.

Police ran her name and determined she was in the country illegally, and jailed her.

After nine days in the Lake County jail, Cote was transferred to the Broward Transitional Center as the department prepared to carry out a deportation order, igniting protests in Orlando in Wednesday and Tavares on Thursday.

Sheriff's spokesman John Herrell addressed the crowd of about 12 advocates and protesters -- who were almost outnumbered by the media -- shortly after they filed the public records request at the department.

Herrell admitted the department fell through the cracks on Cote's prolonged-detainment by failing to notify the authorities that she was ready for pickup. But added there was noting illegal or wrong about her being detained.

"She broke the law and she was arrested," Herrell said.

Rita moved from Honduras with her mother to the United States at 15-years-old. She entered legally, but remained illegally, said Robert Cote. He said he met Rita when she was 16 where they worked together -- and married her when she was 17.

He cited the $2,000-plus legal fees it would cost to make her an American citizen for stalling their plans to make her a legal citizen. He said at best-case scenario, he hopes to get her free on appeal and raise the money to make her legal.

He said he hopes the 7-,4-, and 2-year-old children they have now will help influence authorities to give her legal residence.

"She will be another productive citizen," Cote said.

Accusations of profiling for illegal immigrants have been a big issue in Lake County within the last year because of Sorrento. A deputy in response to a call there last year was beat by whom the sheriff's office suspected were illegal immigrants. The Rev. Gianni Agostinelli said the incident has resulted in racial profiling by the sheriff's office and a harsh push towards getting illegal immigrants out the country.

"It's a shame when someone can't call for help during a crime or to report a crime, but he's afraid police will turn their attention to him," Agostinelli said.

Herrell said it was not clear how much the immigration enforcement authority would cost and the unit has not been approved. He said Sheriff Borders decided to implement the enforcement authority at the request of a number of citizens during community meetings who complained about the high number of illegal immigrants.

He added one problem sheriff investigators had with the Sorrento investigation was that the suspects were difficult to identify because they were illegal immigrants.

However, he denied the department was racial profiling.

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