Thread: N.M. - Racial profiling complaints made by immigrant-rights group

By Ryan Boetel
Updated: 07/11/2012 10:57:02 PM MDT
Daily Times

FARMINGTON — An immigrant advocacy organization filed formal complaints Wednesday alleging local law enforcement agencies are targeting Hispanics and questioning them about their immigration status during routine traffic stops and DWI checkpoints. Senior officers, however, say they're simply doing their job in hunting criminals.

Somos Un Pueblo Unido, a New Mexico organization that advocates for immigrant rights, hosted a rally Wednesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Farmington. About 250 people, most of them young Hispanics, attended the rally with bilingual signs that pleaded for local officials to stop separating families.

The group alleges Farmington police, San Juan County Sheriff's Office and Bloomfield police routinely violate a state law that bans racial profiling because local officers will ask Hispanics for social security cards or notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of routine traffic stops involving Hispanics.

Local law enforcement agencies also use immigration agents at DWI checkpoints to check the immigration statuses of Hispanics, the group says.

"We're very concerned about these DWI checkpoints that are serving as de facto immigration checkpoints according to all these eyewitnesses," Marcela D"az, the executive director of Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said.

Kyle Westall, the Farmington police chief, and San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen said federal agents are welcomed to attend local DWI checkpoints.

Both law enforcement officials said they long have lobbied for a stronger federal presence in San Juan County to battle serious crimes involving narcotics and violence.

"If you are an illegal immigrant here and you are a criminal, you are going to get contacted by law enforcement," Christesen said. "And if we find out you are illegal, we're going to contact ICE and when we're done with our criminal charges, they will deport you."

Immigration agents at checkpoints are scaring undocumented residents away from driving or calling the police during an emergency, said Rocio Godinez, a 20-year-old San Juan College student who is undocumented.

"It's racial profiling because if we're speaking Spanish they ask us for our papers," she said. "It's scary."

At St. Mary's, six local families told stories of relatives who recently were arrested by police officers who appeared to be working directly with ICE agents.

D"az said the individuals who spoke Wednesday will file formal complaints against the local law enforcement agencies and New Mexico State Police.

Westall said the Farmington police has yet to receive a formal, racial-profiling complaint against an officer but said if one is filed it will be thoroughly investigated.

Christesen said his office also is yet to receive a formal complaint alleging racial profiling.

"We are certainly sensitive to these types of investigations and we would happily complete internal affairs investigations if given factual information," Westall said. "None has been given to date and we have nothing to investigate."

D"az said New Mexico law prohibits law enforcement from basing their investigation around a person's ethnicity, which is what local officers do when they ask Hispanics for social security numbers or green cards before arresting them.

Somos Un Pueblo Unido filed a formal complaint Wednesday against the Department of Homeland Security and with the Department of Homeland Security Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. In its complaint, the group alleges sending federal agents to check for undocumented immigrants at checkpoints more than 100 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border violates the security department's own policies.

Somos also said in its complaint that San Juan County Adult Detention Center is holding immigrants for 48 hours at the request of ICE agents even though the immigrants haven't committed crimes other than being undocumented.

Mar"a Sanchez, an undocumented San Juan County resident and a mother of seven children, said she filed a complaint against the sheriff's office. She said a deputy called an ICE agent to have her husband deported on July 6 after her husband was pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign.

"I'm afraid that the officer might retaliate against us because he knows we complained," she said through an interpreter. "I decided (to file a complaint) because my husband is about to be deported and it's not fair. They are taking our children's futures away."

One Old Vet

Racial profiling complaints made by immigrant-rights group - Farmington Daily Times

"I'm afraid that the officer might retaliate against us because he knows we complained," she said through an interpreter. "I decided (to file a complaint) because my husband is about to be deported and it's not fair. They are taking our children's futures away."

Take personal responsibility. You come here illegally, you pay the consequences.

"It's racial profiling because if we're speaking Spanish they ask us for our papers," she said. "It's scary."

Since most illegals speak spanish, it is no wonder you're asked for papers. People who come here through proper channels have learned and speak english.

Wow! This article is an extreme example of disregarding the meaning of words and using them solely for their emotional effect. At first I was tempted to make a comment about Hispanic not being a race. Then I came upon this text, '"It's racial profiling because if we're speaking Spanish they ask us for our papers," she said. "It's scary."'. Huh? Someone thinks speaking Spanish is a race? That ignorance is the really scary thing. If you profile someone because of their spoken language it's linguistic profiling not racial!

"It's racial profiling because if we're speaking Spanish they ask us for our papers," she said. "It's scary."

At least the few times I had to show my papers (drivers license, registration and proof of insurance.) when I got pulled over for any reason they asked me in English. Oh wait that may be because I spoke first.

The Roman Catholic Church, above any other religious or secular organization, has been the most instrumental advocate and sponsor that has resulted in the (protected) influx of tens of millions of illegal aliens into the United States.

It should be consider a hostile foreign agent. The Vatican is a nation, after all ..