Chapel Hill Center of Immigration Debate
Gerrick Brenner
(03/16/07-- CHAPEL HILL) - The Town of Chapel Hill is at the center of a debate over illegal immigration.

The town says it has a new policy. It will not arrest people who have deportation orders issued by the federal government.

Eyewitness News learned about leniency toward illegal immigrants after the arrest of a man from El Salvador last weekend.

Federal agents ordered him deported, but now he's a free man.

Illegal immigration is such a hot topic for a lot of people that no town officials from Chapel Hill would interview on camera.

The police chief said the original arrest of the illegal immigrant was a mistake and releasing him from jail was the right thing to do.

Nelson Herrera Ventura, 33, was taken into custody Saturday by Chapel Hill police during a traffic stop on Jones Ferry Road. Police have not said why Herrera was stopped and was not cited.

But he was arrested after police learned federal immigration agents had a deportation order on Herrera.

"Each illegal alien detected by local law enforcement should be detained and removed from the country," said William Gheen, Americans for Legal Immigration.

Monday, police released Ventura when they learned his arrest violates a Chapel Hill Police Department policy that's seven weeks old. The new policy says police will not arrest people solely for immigration violations.

Chapel Hill Police Chief Gregg Jarvies said, "We do not have power to take custody of people who have not committed a criminal offense."

Herrera had no other criminal record.

"If it's within Chapel Hill's legal right to do that, I think that's wise," said Tim Baker, Chapel Hill resident. "We have more important things to deal with."

Chapel Hill's policy evolved after protest to the arrest of another illegal immigrant, Sima Falahi, originally of Iran.

Falahi's illegal status was learned as she applied for a vendor's permit at City Hall in December.

Federal officials are not pleased, but most Chapel Hill residents say they don't want their police acting as immigration agents.

"Immigration effects local communities, but I don't think local police should be spending a high priority and a lot of time on," said Lee Bishop, resident.

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