Thread: Illegal immigrants arrested two days after ID proposal passe

Illegal immigrants arrested two days after ID proposal passes

Associated Press

June 6, 2007

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Federal agents arrested at least a dozen illegal immigrants Wednesday, two days after the city approved a program to make municipal identification cards available to them, city officials said.

Jessica Mayorga, a spokeswoman for New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, said officials were notified by family members and community groups that as many as 30 people were arrested.

Kica Matos, who oversees the city department that assists immigrants, said most of the arrests were in the city's Fair Haven section, home to many immigrants.

Paula Grenier, a spokeswoman for the Boston office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, confirmed that immigrants had been arrested in a routine fugitive operation in New Haven but said she did not know how many.

She said all of those arrested had been ordered deported by judges and were considered fugitives. They are in ICE custody and will be sent back to their home countries.

Mayorga and Matos said they believe the raids are related to the Board of Aldermen's 25-1 vote this week to create all-purpose municipal identification cards, which will allow illegal immigrants to open bank accounts and use other services that may be unavailable without driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards.

"Just two days ago the Board of Aldermen approved this resolution, and today we have the federal government terrifying New Haven residents and taking people away," Matos said.

Grenier said the raids had nothing to do with the city's approval of the ID program.

"These are routine fugitive operations," he said. "We have teams deployed all over the U.S."

Supporters say the ID program, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, will help keep the city's estimated 15,000 illegal immigrants safe. If they can open bank accounts, they will not need to carry large amounts of cash, a practice that makes them easy targets for robbers.

New Haven has been more welcoming to immigrants than many places, offering federal tax help and prohibiting police from asking about their immigration status.

Mayorga said police did not assist with the raids because of that policy.


Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/lo ... local-wire

Wow! This looks like a counter to our efforts to get the illegals to go to New Haven!

Anyone know when the raid took place? We launched our plan yesterday morning on Tues June 5.

W

This article says Wed.

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Feds arrest dozens of illegal immigrants in New Haven raids
June 6, 2007

Andrew Mangino

Staff Reporter

The Department of Homeland Security conducted an early morning raid of undocumented immigrants in New Haven on Wednesday, arresting dozens and prompting city officials to decry what they believe to be federal retaliation for city’s approval Monday of the first-in-the-nation municipal ID program.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made 29 arrests Wednesday, according to a spokeswoman for the agency, and city officials said they expect more arrests over the course of the next two weeks. The officials described it as the first-ever mass arrest of illegal immigrants in recent New Haven history, but the ICE spokeswoman says the arrests are not politically driven and are “routine.â€