Thread: MA-Activists protest federal gang raids

Activists protest federal gang raids

Say sweeps are too broad and heavy-handed
By Milton J. Valencia
Globe Staff / August 9, 2008
Community activists held vigils in Lowell and Somerville last night to denounce the recent federal raids against suspected members of international gangs, saying the sweeps were meant to target criminals but are hurting families.

In Lowell, which has one of the largest Cambodian communities in the country, more than 160 relatives and friends of people facing deportation signed a petition calling for authorities to investigate the sweeps, saying they have been heavy-handed and overly broad.

"This is not a black-and-white issue," said Gregg Croteau, of the United Teen Equality Center. "It's incredibly complex, and our concern lies with the way all of these people are being depicted."

He said one of the men who was arrested, Song Sao, 30, was not a gang member and that he has only been arrested once, seven years ago on an assault and battery charge. Sao has been working with community groups since, he said.

In Lowell's Cambodian community, 187 people have been deported since 2002, and 15 people are expected to be deported on Aug. 14.

Activists and family members of would-be deportees called on authorities to stop such sweeps.

They handed out fliers to inform people of their rights, which include the right to remain silent and not having their home searched without a lawyer.

And they blasted authorities' practice of transferring detainees to prisons out of state.

"There's a lot of family members who have been affected," said Dimple Rana of Deported Diaspora, a community agency.

The vigils were held after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials announced that 80 people have been arrested in statewide raids in the last week, under a national Operation Community Shield initiative.

Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's office of investigations in Boston, said the raids target known criminals and gang members who have contributed to the street violence that has rocked communities.

By working with local police, Immigration and Customs Enforcement can use federal law to deport known criminals.

"Every individual targeted as part of this operation has a criminal record," Foucart said.

The 80 arrested represent 24 gangs, including the Tiny Rascals, Bloods, and MS-13, he said.

Of those arrested, 55 were permanent residents who could be deported for their crimes; 14 lived here illegally; two were wanted on deportation warrants; and three were living here after being deported. Six others were arrested on local criminal charges.




http://www.boston.com/news/local/articl ... ang_raids/

These people are just too much anyone advocating chaos and anarchy should be thrown out of the country with the illegals who are breaking the law.


GOOOO ICE!!!!!!

These "activists" are subversive idiots...they'd rather keep gang-bangers in their communities simply because the gang-bangers are illegal aliens and their families are as well. These "activists" would not be complaining if the gang-bangers were'nt illegal aliens...in fact they'd be complaining that the police don't care about crime in "their community". The bottom line is that the ethno-centric pro-illegal alien lobby wants protests ANY kind of law enforcement action even those that target violent, criminal aliens in their own communities. Stupid is as stupid does.

Community activists held vigils in Lowell and Somerville last night to denounce the recent federal raids against suspected members of international gangs, saying the sweeps were meant to target criminals but are hurting families





Like it's unheard of that criminals have families or what?

Not to sound insensitive but so what? Are we supposed to now grant criminals reprieve because their families are being "hurt"?

That's absurd.