Thread: Tx - ICE agent removes man, 31, during church service

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Sacred worship, duty to law pitted
ICE agent removes man, 31, during church service
By SUSAN CARROLL Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Feb. 18, 2009, 10:43PM


Johnny Hanson Chronicle
Ana Maria Hernandez (with a picture of her son) says little respect was shown for the church where he was arrested.

On a Sunday morning, in a church sanctuary near Conroe, an off-duty immigration agent tapped Jose Juan Hernandez on the shoulder and asked him to step outside.

A 31-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico with three prior deportations, Hernandez quietly followed the agent and promptly was detained on suspicion of illegal re-entry after deportation, said Gregory Palmore, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman in Houston.

The case would be unremarkable, except for the setting. The fact that Hernandez was detained in church has sparked controversy locally. Hernandez was arrested Oct. 26, pleaded guilty to the re-entry charge this month and is scheduled for sentencing in April. He remains in federal detention in Conroe. Hernandez’s attorney, Rick Soliz, said he plans to file a complaint against the ICE agent in connection with the arrest.

“I wonder what the agent was thinking, if he was thinking at all,â€

re:"...he defended the agent’s actions as fulfilling his “sworn duty to enforce the nation’s laws.â€

“I wonder what the agent was thinking, if he was thinking at all,â€

[quote]“It’s unbelievable to me that an agent can be so ignorant,â€

[quote]Palmore confirmed that Hernandez was arrested at the church in October, calling it an “unusual circumstance.â€

Ana Maria Hernandez (with a picture of her son) says little respect was shown for the church where he was arrested.

On a Sunday morning, in a church sanctuary near Conroe, an off-duty immigration agent tapped Jose Juan Hernandez on the shoulder and asked him to step outside.

A 31-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico with three prior deportations, Hernandez quietly followed the agent and promptly was detained on suspicion of illegal re-entry after deportation, said Gregory Palmore, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman in Houston.

Talk about lack of respect!! This comming from an illegal invader who has completely disrespected our immigration laws as well as our country on now four different occassions!!!

You don't deserve any respect! This guy needs to be prosecuted for felony re-entry!!!

[quote]“It’s unbelievable to me that an agent can be so ignorant,â€

[quote]
The arrested man’s mother, 51-year-old Ana Maria Hernandez, said she was particularly upset to learn that her son, who has been in the U.S. illegally since age 6, was detained in a church.

“A church is a sacred place,â€

So, this chump was deported three times, had a felony drug charge against him, which he committed while he was in our nation illegally, had a DWI and driving without a license charge against him...and he had the unmitigated gall to be sitting in God's house...and WE should have some respect??? What specific kind of morons are these? His mother brought him here illegally and he broke multiple laws against this nation and it's people and WE should feel bad? There really is no word or words that can describe the stupidity of these people!!

I'm going to the link to read the comments. I bet Americans are really pissed off about this!

Yep, I was right! Americans are really angry about this. Almost 600 comments on the link so far, and I haven't read one so far that thinks this was wrong.