Thread: N.C.: Deputies stumble upon illegal immigrants

Deputies stumble upon illegal immigrants


By Julie N. Chang

Thursday, August 7, 2008



MORGANTON - A Burke County sheriff's deputy on Thursday discovered, to his surprise, that a suspicious van in an Icard church parking lot contained 14 suspected illegal immigrants.
Sheriff John McDevitt deputies used the jail van early Thursday to deliver the 14 Hispanic men to Immigration Customs Enforcement in Charlotte.

Deputy Jeff Robinson was patrolling at 1:55 a.m. Thursday in Icard when he spotted a white van with Georgia license plates. It was parked in the far corner of the eponymous church on Shoups Grove Church Road, McDevitt said.

Only half of the men had identification with them, McDevitt said.

All the men will undergo a thorough background check at ICE in Charlotte.

The sheriff said this is the first occurrence in months when deputies caught a large group of illegal immigrants in Burke County.

www.morganton.com

GO SHERIFFS!



Head it up, Move 'em out.

If an officer comes upon a person(s) in the performance of their general patrol or special enforcement duties and has probable cause to believe a person is in a state of conflict with the laws of their jurisdiction, or any larger enforcement agency, that officer is sworn to uphold the laws and constitution and by definition is duty bound to enforce same.