Thread: GA: 21 arrested at Fort Benning

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centreda ... 503750.htm

21 arrested at Fort Benning
Illegal immigrants were going to do construction work on barracks

Twenty-one men and women accused of illegally entering the country shuffled into U.S. Magistrate Court in Columbus on Friday in chains and shackles.

Family members wept as U.S. Marshals sat them in a row before U.S. Magistrate G. Mallon Faircloth, who spent the afternoon advising each of their rights and accepting the guilty pleas of seven of them.

"They know they're going to be deported," said Nancy Needham, a bilingual missionary with Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. "I was OK until he did that."

The illegal immigrants were caught early Wednesday during an ID check while trying to enter Fort Benning to do construction work on soldiers' barracks. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office, the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General had conducted a joint investigation into illegal immigrants employed by contractors at Kelley Hill. The ID checks were at three entrances to Kelley Hill.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Richard Rocha said Friday the workers worked for different subcontractors, who are not currently facing any charges from federal officials.

While 24 people were arrested, three are not facing criminal charges and instead will be put in immigration removal proceedings.

Similar raids at military installations in Nevada and Virginia on Thursday also netted 18 other arrests, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Marc Raimondi said.

Military installations and other structures considered critical to national security have been a high priority for immigration officials as they have stepped up efforts to crack down on illegal workers over the last year, said Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Julie Myers.

Families divided

Eleven of the 21 people who stood before Faircloth were accused of a misdemeanor -- illegal entry into the United States. Seven of the 11 chose to plead guilty and received six months probation. They'll be turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office, which will deport them to their respective countries. All are still in custody.

The other four, represented by Columbus Attorney Joseph Wiley Jr., had their cases continued until Feb. 23.

"Part of their agreement to plead guilty was they'll submit to deportation," Wiley said of the seven who did plead. "You want to examine someone's full history before you do that. You don't want to disadvantage yourself before you submit to deportation."

Wiley's clients, who pleaded not guilty, remain in jail under no bond.

Faircloth has the jurisdiction to accept guilty pleas for the misdemeanors, though he doesn't have it for felonies. The remaining 10 men and women who face both misdemeanor and felony charges were advised of their rights, told when a February grand jury would meet to determine if it should indict them and heard when an arraignment would follow.

At the arraignment in U.S. District Court the men and women will get the chance to enter a plea. All were denied bond.

"We have a justice system and hopefully justice will prevail," Needham said. "That's all we can hope for. Probably the saddest thing that's happening today is that families are being divided."

21 a good start and hopefully they are all deported back to Mexico. Almost makes you sick when they start talking about justice? How about the Justice the raped or murders that Americans have to go through?

"They know they're going to be deported," said Nancy Needham, a bilingual missionary with Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. "I was OK until he did that." ,If she really cared about those people she would go to Mexico and help them make their country a better place instead of assisting them in breaking the law .

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For those that are concerned about families being separated, easy solution the whole family goes!.

Beckyal:

Exactly! Did they check the immigration status of the weeping family members in the court room?

How inhumane is it to subject your family to the risks of illegally entering a county and forcing your children to live as criminals.

If they expended half the energy they used to illegally enter this county to instead make their home country humane the world would be a better place.

Bandx

Originally Posted by bandx

If they expended half the energy they used to illegally enter this county to instead make their home country humane the world would be a better place.
Bandx

I agree completely, bandx.

Welcome!

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Richard Rocha said Friday the workers worked for different subcontractors, who are not currently facing any charges from federal officials.

Good point, this needs to change quickly.