Thread: Immigration enforcement stuns Cleveland families

"Our goal is to restore integrity to the immigration laws, and part of that is removing individuals who do not have valid status," said Greg Palmore, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

If this is so, how about going to get Eliva Arenallo out of that church

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindeal ... xml&coll=2
Immigration enforcement stuns Cleveland families
Government no longer willing to ignore visa issues residents working and living here for years arrested
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Robert L. Smith
Plain Dealer Reporter

Those who shared Hasan Bakia's secret knew he was living in America on borrowed time. But they expected a warning, some chance at redemption, before a bitter end.

The acclaimed geologist had earned his good-neighbor credentials after arriving from Albania in 1992. He found factory work, befriended seemingly half of Lakewood, and emerged as the leader of a growing Albanian immigrant community.

Still, he lacked a more crucial credential: a current visa. On the night of Nov. 7, federal immigration agents seized Bakia and his wife, Mirjana, as they left their car outside a relative's apartment in Lakewood.

As the couple sit in jail awaiting deportation, astonished family and friends despair at the harshness of the action.

"We were not aware of how grave the situation was," said Alban Bakia, the couple's 35-year-old son, a naturalized U.S. citizen.

He had applied to sponsor his parents' citizenship, but federal authorities judged that the clock had run out. Even as new visas were being considered, immigration agents acted on a 6-year-old deportation order.

Some say the sudden arrest of a prominent, productive couple illustrates the government's new resolve to enforce immigration laws and rulings - and some say maybe to the point of overzealousness.

Not long ago, couples like the Bakias might have been cut a break, even ignored, local immigration advocates say. It was not uncommon for immigrants with visa problems to have barriers to entry waived, or to be allowed to stay while a lawyer argued their case.

But with Americans alarmed at the image of illegal immigrants spilling over the border, the Department of Homeland Security is cracking down. Its enforcement arm is showing far less patience and flexibility with people who lack the right papers.

"Our goal is to restore integrity to the immigration laws, and part of that is removing individuals who do not have valid status," said Greg Palmore, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

The numbers of people detained and deported by ICE's Detroit office - which covers Ohio and Michigan - surged 26 percent this year, to 2,518. It's part of a national effort to tighten a leaky immigration system, in part by arresting illegal immigrants who once were left alone.

A new ICE special operations team in Cleveland picked up the Bakias. A year ago, those agents most likely would have been tracking criminal aliens, illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, Palmore acknowledge.

Now, "We're going after everybody. We're an equal opportunity remover," he said.

In the small, quiet immigrant communities of Northeast Ohio, that's a shocking change.

Just before dawn,

INS knocks at the door

The Petcu house in North Royalton was just beginning to stir at 6:30 a.m. Nov. 3, a Friday. Toader and Margareta Petcu and their 23-year-old son, Emanuel, were getting ready for work. Daiana, 17, had a test that day at school.

Suddenly, they heard pounding at the door. Immigration agents handcuffed them all, according to friends of the family. Emanuel, as an adult, was separated from his parents and taken to Bedford Heights Jail. The other three Petcus were on a flight to an ICE detention facility in Texas by 7 p.m.

Margareta's mother, a U.S. citizen, was left home alone.

Friends and co-workers - who describe a close, kind, hard-working family - are still absorbing the calamity.

"Our goal is to restore integrity to the immigration laws, and part of that is removing individuals who do not have valid status," said Greg Palmore, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Does this mean that ALL Illegal Aliens will be treated with the same fair hand and be deported

or

is it still business as usual and Other Than Mexican Illegals will be the focus of this new INTEGRITY?

Looking forward to seeing this new Integrity unfold.

.

He had applied to sponsor his parents' citizenship, but federal authorities judged that the clock had run out. Even as new visas were being considered, immigration agents acted on a 6-year-old deportation order.

How can someone under a deportation order resubmit for a visa? As we know, a deportation order is issued to individuals that have already had their day in court or to someone who failed to appear on their assigned court date. Either way, these folks are illegal immigrants and the appropriate action is being taken.

As always, I have a serious problem with anyone illegally in the United States becoming legal while their two feet are standing on American soil.

"We're going after everybody. We're an equal opportunity remover," he said.

I like that. I think it should be their motto.

This type of action by ICE is just the kind of thing that is going to pit neightbor against neighbor. Rather than raiding the large businesses who hire these illegals and arrest them and their employers, it seems to me that ICE is deliberatly BEEN TOLD to make these kinds of moves instead, in order to gain sympathy for the illegals. It is the very reason, IMO, why they have left Elvira or whatever her name is, exactly where she is, won't touch her, because they want her to win the hearts and minds of your neighbor and mine, when push DOES come to shove...and eventually it will, your neighbor will be your enemy.

If all heck breaks loose in this country, it will a civil war like none other.

Enforce our laws! I don't care about the circumstances of the illegal aliens. Bahhhhh to all this bleeding heart BS. Sure he was the pillar of the community because if he had done anything wrong, he would have been deported. He was playing the game. That guy had a long time to correct his status. Bye bye!

Enforce our laws!!!!!!!!

mrazmerized,

Actually, I hope it motivates his fellow illegal alien neighbors to start thinking, if they will ship mister make believe American out of here, they will get us too and we don't fit in and contribute near as much as he did, so we don't stand a chance.

Dixie

let's face it when our government wakes up and starts enforcing its immigration laws we will be bombarded with sob stories. how every one of these fence hopping criminals deserves to be here. the amnesty people want us to forget about all the laws these people have shamelessly committed.

Originally Posted by Dixie

Enforce our laws! I don't care about the circumstances of the illegal aliens. Bahhhhh to all this bleeding heart BS. Sure he was the pillar of the community because if he had done anything wrong, he would have been deported. He was playing the game. That guy had a long time to correct his status. Bye bye!

Enforce our laws!!!!!!!!

mrazmerized,

Actually, I hope it motivates his fellow illegal alien neighbors to start thinking, if they will ship mister make believe American out of here, they will get us too and we don't fit in and contribute near as much as he did, so we don't stand a chance.

Dixie

I hope it scares the daylights out of them Dixie!! At the same time, they are also hearing the 'other', more powerful message, loud and clear, and I do believe that the majority of them believe that amnesty is coming, they've struggled to get here and they are going to hold out for it. Because underneath all of the small, local action being taken, they know their lies the strong possibility that all those efforts will be for naught, if CIR is passed. In other words, I think that the government is playing 'our bluff', not theirs, otherwise, Elvira would have been gone along time ago. Know what I mean?....hey is 4:30 am....I'm half awake

How can someone under a deportation order flaunt themselves in the community with no regard for law enforcement and be surprised when they are arrested? These people who come here illegally or overstay their visas do not care about our laws until they are arrested and to be deported then all of a sudden they give us the sob story. I have no sympathy for them as they broke our laws to stay in this country illegally and now they will pay the consequences of their actions. ICE should be doing more of this as their are millions to go.