Groups protest immigrant raid
By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 09/18/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT

Immigrants' rights activists on Monday were organizing their responses to a sheriff's raid in Chaparral, N.M., last week that led to the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants and their children.

A human rights group in El Paso was gathering testimony from Chaparral residents in view of possible legal action. An immigrants' group was organizing a protest for later this week. And Catholic officials were drafting critical letters.

On Sept. 10, the Otero County Sheriff's Department conducted a federally funded enforcement operation during which they turned 28 undocumented immigrants over to the Border Patrol, an agency that did not directly participate in the operation. Border Patrol officials said they received 16 undocumented immigrants from Otero County deputies.

Otero County Sheriff John Blansett on Monday reiterated that his deputies followed the law and intended to repeat the operation in the future. Blansett said through his office that he would say no more about the operation.

Briana Stone, director of the Paso Del Norte Civil Rights Project, said her group was gathering testimony from Chaparral residents who said sheriff's deputies used false pretense to gain access to their houses.

"I heard a story that the deputies pretended they were the pizza man. Another lady said she was in the shower when they came in and when she got out of the shower, there they were," Stone said.

Stone said she is drafting legal affidavits to be used potentially in future
legal action. The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico is also following the case.

Pax Christi, a local advocacy group, and the Peace and Justice Ministry of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, sent a letter to Blansett and were working on letters to elected officials Monday.

"The failure of our own government to enforce its own laws, to condone unethical practices which victimize the poor and to use trickery in the process of seeking out undocumented immigrants reveals that we have become a people, a nation which is quickly losing its very soul," the letter read.

The Border Network for Human Rights is planning a protest for later this week.

Louie Gilot may be reached at lgilot@elpasotimes.com; 546-6131.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_6922514