Thread: New Haven officials urge federal agents to stop immigration

New Haven officials urge federal agents to stop immigration raids

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press Writer

June 11, 2007, 6:14 PM EDT

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- City officials urged federal authorities Monday to suspend any more raids looking for illegal immigrants, saying an operation last week violated the law.

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano said he is filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over a raid Wednesday that led to about 30 arrests, including many in immigrants' homes. He said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents failed to notify local authorities of the operation and lacked search warrants.

"They pushed into homes without warrants," DeStefano said. "This was just very aggressive intervention."

The city plans to forward witness statements to federal officials describing how parents were arrested in front of their children. Agents refused to identify themselves and told those in the houses to shut up, according to the statements.

Authorities took those arrested to facilities around New England, officials said. Bond hearings are planned later this week in Hartford.

"I just can't see how you can't view them as frightening in terms of respecting the rights of people, whether they're documented or undocumented," DeStefano said.

DeStefano, who called for an investigation of the complaints, also said the operation raised concerns of racial profiling. Most of those arrested were Hispanic.

Bruce Chadbourne, field office director for ICE, said officers had permission to enter the homes from those present and acted professionally. He said the agency did notify New Haven police weeks before the operation about executing warrants and denied engaging in racial profiling.

Chadbourne said he would temporarily suspend the specific operation the city complained about because of the publicity.

"I don't want to put the lives of my officers in jeopardy on the street," Chadbourne said. "We're going after some dangerous people. I don't want my officers hurt."

But Chadbourne said enforcement actions against illegal immigration would not stop. "We're not apologizing for enforcing the immigration laws of the United States," he said.

Connecticut Sens. Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro also asked Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff for clarification about the way in which the raid was conducted and its timing.

"Several aspects of the enforcement operation have raised concerns for us, the mayor of New Haven, and many residents in Connecticut," the lawmakers wrote in a letter.

The operation came two days after the city approved a program to make municipal identification cards available to illegal immigrants. City officials say the raid appeared to be retaliatory for the ID cards, but ICE officials have said the raids had nothing to do with the city's approval of the ID program.

New Haven has been more welcoming to immigrants than many places, offering federal tax help and prohibiting police from asking about their immigration status.

Although city police would not assist with such raids, DeStefano said local authorities should be notified in advance to ensure federal agents do not walk into a dangerous situation or interfere with a separate investigation.

Michael Wishnie, a Yale law professor who is representing most of those arrested, said there were deportation orders for four of 32 people arrested.

"You can't use an arrest warrant to go into a home to arrest whoever happens to be there," Wishnie said. "They lacked consent and the lacked a search warrant. These home invasions were unlawful."


Copyright 2007 Newsday Inc.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ ... onnecticut

I bet New Haven officials have defended there position of not enforcing immigration laws because it is a federal issue. Now the feds are dealing with it and they are complaining. Garsh, the monkey's not on your back.

There is just no pleasing these illegal alien advocates.

ICE - Go get'm boys!

Dixie

YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE SOME PEOPLE HAPPY !!Damned if you do and Damned if you don't!! Keep doing your job ICE thats what you are getting paid for!

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