Thread: Nine Immigrants plead guilty under Arizona's smuggling law

Published 05.30.2006
Nine immigrants plead guilty under Arizona's smuggling law

The Associated Press
PHOENIX — Nine people who were among the first illegal immigrants to be charged under a new state law for paying to be sneaked into the country pleaded guilty Tuesday to solicitation to commit immigrant smuggling.
The nine-month-old immigrant smuggling law has come under criticism for being used by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas to target not only smugglers but also to charge the customers of smugglers as conspirators to the crime.
Nearly 200 people, most of whom are customers of smugglers, have been charged in Maricopa County under the law.
Thomas’ legal interpretation got its first use when 48 illegal immigrants were charged as conspirators after they were discovered in a pair of furniture trucks in March about 50 miles west of Phoenix.
In all, 14 of the 48 have pleaded guilty to the lower-tier felony of solicitation to commit immigrant smuggling.
The nine who pleaded guilty Tuesday were sentenced to two years of supervised probation and were expected to face deportation proceedings.
A judge is considering a challenge to the law. Defense lawyers argue the Legislature never intended it to be used on the customers of smugglers, while prosecutors said the Legislature didn’t prohibit such an application of the law.
The law was a response to frustration over Arizona’s role as the nation’s busiest illegal entry point on the U.S.-Mexico border and the huge health care and education costs that the state shoulders for illegal immigrants and their families.

A good start, hats off to Sheriff Joe and the DA
Time to Shout Out " No More Illegals"

Welcome Azmomof2!

In all, 14 of the 48 have pleaded guilty to the lower-tier felony of solicitation to commit immigrant smuggling.
The nine who pleaded guilty Tuesday were sentenced to two years of supervised probation and were expected to face deportation proceedings.

This makes no sense to me at all. They're illegal, pleaded guilty to a felony and have been sentenced to two years probation.

Why weren't they deported? What am I missing here?

I agree hadenuf. I mean, probation? They are here illegally and should be deported!! How are you going to have them check in with a probate officer? Moreover, they pleaded guilty--i.e. admitted to being in the country illegally--they should be deported and dumped in the furthest reaches of mexico or wherever they came from. Stop wasting taxpayer money on them NOW!!!!