Sheriff’s deputies round up illegal immigrants in stops
By DORIS COOK - Staff Writer
Star Beacon


September 03, 2008 06:34 pm

— ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP —Routine traffic stops by Ashtabula County sheriff’s deputies over the long Labor Day weekend ended in 27 illegal immigrants being picked up. They were all turned over to U.S. Border Patrol officials, says sheriff’s department Chief Deputy Ronald Fenton.
On Saturday, 16 illegal immigrants were discovered at the Freeway Motel, located at 2329 North Ridge East in the township. The men were detained, then turned over to the Border Patrol officers, who are based in Erie, Pa.
Eight of the 27 immigrants were picked up mostly in routine traffic stops on Aug. 27 and 28. They were found to be from Mexico, Fenton said.
Deputy Matt Johns stopped a car around 10 p.m. Tuesday on Route 20 in the Homewood Ave. area for having no rear lights on the vehicle. One of the passengers, a 34-year-old female with a Geneva address was found to be an illegally here from Honduras and could not speak English.
When the Border Patrol officer arrived, he questioned the woman and she admitted to being here illegally, reports show.
“Usually what happens we do not make arrests, but call in the Border Patrol. It’s a federal offense so the patrol picks up these people on s on the spot. We feel these people could be working in the area nurseries or the grape vineyards here,â€