Thread: SC-Are Hispanics leaving because of crackdown?

Are Hispanics leaving because of crackdown?
By DANIEL BROWNSTEIN
dbrownstein@islandpacket.com
843-706-8125
Published Tuesday, September 2, 2008


A crackdown on illegal immigration in Beaufort County appears to be driving away Hispanics, either by deportation or the fear of being sent back home, according to law enforcement officers and members of the Hispanic community.

With about a month left in a 90-day federal immigration crackdown, 170 inmates in the Beaufort County jail have been identified as suspected illegal immigrants.

And soon, it won't just be employees facing trouble. Companies suspected of hiring illegal immigrants also will be investigated by the Sheriff's Office, the first time local detectives will take such action.

"Operation Surge" began July 1, when agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement were moved to the Beaufort jail and five other county jails throughout South Carolina to identify illegal immigrants and begin preparing deportation cases against them. ICE is a branch of the Department of Homeland Security formerly known as Immigration and Naturalization Services.

The agents used to put immigration holds on suspected illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes. Beginning in July, they started putting such holds on every suspected illegal immigrant, regardless of the seriousness of the charges.

The result has been higher numbers of prisoners in the county jail and an increase in the number of Hispanics leaving the area to seek jobs in places where there's less risk of deportation, officials said.

JAIL SEES SOME RELIEF

On Thursday, Beaufort jail director Philip Foot said the ICE operation had put holds on 170 prisoners since the crackdown began.

The jail, designed for 255 inmates, reached its peak of 441 people July 20 during the Beaufort Water Festival. On Thursday, it was down to 380 inmates.

ICE agents transport alleged illegal immigrants from the jail daily, after the prisoners have satisfied their criminal charges, Foot said. As of Aug. 26, prosecutors had dropped 37 minor charges against suspected illegal immigrants in cases where there was no victim or when the victim agreed to drop charges, said Sheriff P.J. Tanner. That was done to free up more space at the jail.

Even though the jail population is down from its peak, county officials still are exploring options for increasing capacity by either adding on to the existing Duke Street facility or opening a new building for misdemeanor and work-release prisoners. The jail already has added bunk beds to the space that used to be the gym.

"As long as ICE is moving people out on a regular basis and people are going to prison on a regular basis, we're holding steady," Foot said. "We're certainly going to explore all the options because we still have to expand at some point."

OTHERS LEAVE IN FEAR

Outside the jail's walls, Hispanics have begun to leave the county to avoid being deported, officials said.

"We have heard through different sources in the county that there is a percentage of foreign-born illegals who have been voluntarily leaving the county, particularly those with children," Tanner said. "They don't want to be picked up for a traffic offense and then get tied up in deportation."

Juan Campos, who served as president of the Latin American Council of South Carolina before the group changed its name and focus, said there's a fear in the Latino community.

"They are really breaking up families," Campos said.

Families are frightened, he said, in part because illegal immigrants can be stopped for minor offenses like having a car light out and then be deported.

"The family has fallen on hard times," Campos said.

At his Mi Tierra restaurants, business has dropped 60 percent as more Hispanics have left the area, he said. They are heading to New Orleans and other places where there's a lot of available construction work, Campos said.

"They're going to other states where it's not as difficult to just make a living," he said. "It is sad."

Despite the fear, local law enforcement officials say they haven't seen a reluctance among Hispanics to report crimes -- a concern that has been voiced by critics of immigration crackdowns.

The concern has been that illegal immigrants will be forced further underground, leaving them afraid to call the police for fear of being deported.

Tanner said he hasn't noticed any major communication issues arising because of the immigration enforcement. The number of calls for service indicate many Hispanics continue to call police when they're crime victims, Tanner said.

The Bluffton Police Department doesn't track calls for service by ethnicity, so the department has no data on whether Latinos continue to report crimes, said Lt. Bryan Norberg, department spokesman.

The immigration crackdown in Beaufort County so far has been limited to people charged with crimes, not the victims or witnesses, Tanner said.

CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

ICE agents working at the county jail will leave at the end of the month, but by then the sheriff's office will have five trained Spanish-speaking deputies prepared to take their place.

Those deputies routinely will work out of the jail to identify suspected illegal immigrants and also will investigate crimes involving illegal aliens, Tanner said.

An office at the jail recently was wired with computer equipment that connects to ICE databases. Deputies were training on the new equipment last week.

This week, the county's business license auditors will hand over "several companies" suspected of hiring undocumented workers, Tanner said. It is the first time the team of auditors has handed over companies suspected of not following immigration and employment laws.

Tanner's new immigration task force will investigate both the workers and their employers, he said. "We're going to work it from every angle."

Island Packet staff writer Tim Donnelly contributed to this report.

This is a great article but i thought funding was cut for ICE deportations
for illegal entry and the genius`s in DC were only funding criminal removals
.

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/ ... 98025.html

And soon, it won't just be employees facing trouble. Companies suspected of hiring illegal immigrants also will be investigated by the Sheriff's Office, the first time local detectives will take such action.

WAY OVERDUE!

ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIENS' BABIES ARE NOT US CITIZENS!

DEPORT THEM ALL!

IT IS A CRIME TO USE ANOTHER SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OF A UNITED STATES CITIZEN.

AND MULTIPLE SSN'S ARE BEING USED! AND EMPLOYERS PERMIT IT!

THE ILLEGAL LEAVES AND COMES BACK WITH ANOTHER NAME.

THERE ARE AMERICAN WITNESSES TO THIS HAPPENING.

Through the audit in Beaufort.they are finding fraud in great numbers...false documents ect...but the worst is when the illegals use thier own US born childrens Social Security Numbers to get jobs, loans (Bank of America) and licenses. They are finding this out also in western states where they are being raided by the unfathomable numbers..This is a federal crime in the US and death in Mexico. Let the RAIDS begin.