Thread: Teens' deaths raise immigration questions

Teens' deaths raise immigration questions

Two Virginia Beach teens died in an accident involving an undocumented immigrant. Here are some answers addressing the issue.
BY MIKE HOLTZCLAW
928-6479
April 7, 2007

The deaths of two Virginia Beach teens last week touched off a national firestorm that has put the legal system, immigration policies and Virginia Beach officials in the spotlight.

Alfredo Ramos, a 22-year-old born in Mexico, is charged with two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter after his car slammed into another vehicle at a red light, killing 17-year-old Alison Kunhardt and 16-year-old Tessa Tranchant. In court, Ramos admitted that he is an undocumented immigrant who has been in the United States for seven years. He had been drinking.

Ramos has had several previous encounters with local law enforcement, including convictions in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake on prior alcohol-related offenses. He worked at a local restaurant. And people have been asking: Why was his illegal status never discovered until two girls were killed?

U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake says the incident should help change the enforcement of immigration laws across the country.

Drake says she plans to introduce legislation that would facilitate the identification of illegal immigrants who have been charged with crimes in U.S. courts.

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly labeled Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf and Chesapeake Judge Colon Whitehust as "villains" for letting Ramos remain on the roads. The furor led parents for the two teens to plead for calm Friday, saying the reactions have "gotten out of hand."

As the television talking heads rage, here are some down-to-earth answers about what happens when illegal immigrants break local laws. The answers are based on information provided by Mike Netherland, assistant special agent-in-charge for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Norfolk, and by Nosuk Kim, a Newport News lawyer who specializes in immigration. The answers are general, not specific to Ramos' case.

Q: If a person is arrested and convicted, wouldn't people find out that he's in the country illegally?

A: Not necessarily. If people charged with crimes provide identification, they are not automatically checked to see whether they are legal citizens. Police officers and judges don't routinely ask for proof of citizenship.

Q: If a local officer suspects that a person charged in a crime might be in the country illegally, what can the officer do?

A: The officer can contact an ICE support center in Vermont to run a query about a person's status. If the person turns out to be undocumented or illegal, the local authorities can either continue to pursue charges or turn the case over to ICE.

Q: If an undocumented immigrant has a job, shouldn't it be obvious to his or her employer because of payroll taxes?

A: Not always. Employers collect information on a federal I-9 form, but they are not required to verify every piece of information. If the employee provides a phony Social Security number, for example, the withheld money will still go to the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS would not necessarily contact a business to say that the money is coming from a suspicious or nonexistent Social Security number.

Q: What happens to an undocumented immigrant who is convicted of a crime?

A: He or she will serve out the sentence and then will become "subject to removal," Netherland said. Through ICE's Alien Criminal Apprehension Program, the person can be deported once he or she serves the sentence.

Q: How many undocumented immigrants are there in the United States and in Virginia?

A: According to the latest estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center, there are more than 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, about half of whom entered the country legally but then stayed after their visas expired. The Pew report estimates between 250,000 and 300,000 undocumented immigrants in Virginia.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp ... 6013.story

Well someones is not doing their Job!! FIRE THEM!!