Thread: Hispanics Fearful of Federal Gang Investigation

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Hispanics fearful of federal gang investigation
Friday, July 22, 2005
LISA OSBURN
News staff writer

Fear runs deep in Shelby County's Hispanic communities this week as a federal gang investigation continues, bringing agents to neighborhoods largely left alone in previous immigration roundups, advocates said Thursday.

Apprehension has been mounting for more than a month, said Isabel Rubio, executive director of The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama. Her office received calls about intensifying scrutiny long before federal authorities detained 30 people this week, she said.

"We understand there are concerns in Hoover, Pelham and Alabaster about the growing Latino community," Rubio said. "But it is our concern that Latino members of the community are being unfairly picked on, possibly victims of racial profiling. We have heard incidents where people are being asked to take off their shirts during routine traffic stops so tattoos can be photographed."

A witness to a Tuesday raid of an Alabaster mobile home park said federal agents were asking young men about gang involvement and took pictures of their tattoos.

Few details are being released about the investigation, but some wonder why it has ventured into Pelham and Alabaster, cities left alone in previous immigration roundups, said Susan Castillo, an advocate for Hispanics in the area.

"We are going to be targeted now," Castillo said. "The fear is that they will be waiting at the gate of the trailer park, waiting for people to come home from work."

More details are expected to be released next week, federal agents said.

Sending message:

The raids should send a message to people considering joining a gang, said Lt. Scott Tucker of the Pelham Police Department. He declined to comment about the specifics of the investigation but said Pelham officers and other law enforcement agencies are assisting the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Hoover police records show that 30 people were processed through the Hoover Jail Tuesday and transferred to the Etowah County Jail in Gadsden, where the federal government processes illegal immigrants.

"This is one of these things that will be ongoing. It will never stop," Tucker said. "The investigation led to contacts that have been made. Are there additional ones coming? Yeah, that is always possible.

"We would hope that the ones who are in gangs or wannabe gangs, however you want to put it, catch the hint and understand we are serious about it."

He said gangs are everywhere, including Shelby County, but there is not a large contingency there. Pelham police officers have been trained to identify certain gang symbols and would take pictures of tattoos only in certain circumstances, such as when they thought the picture would assist a future investigation, Tucker said.

"We don't just take pictures of everybody who has a tattoo," he said.

No law to save them:

Robert Cox, a Birmingham immigration attorney, said chances are slim that the people taken to Etowah County will remain in the country.

"I have people call me all the time who have a brother, a friend or other family member in this situation. Basically, I tell them if the person entered illegally and has been working, there is nothing under the law to save them," he said.

"It is going to cost you $4,000 to $6,000 to try, and you are not going to get anything out of it. I tell them to take the money and give it to their relative to go back to Mexico."

Many times when people are locked up on a charge of entry without inspection, it is easier for them to just agree to leave the country, Cox said. But many people being detained do not know to ask for that option.

"Some could sit in that jail for six months before being removed from the country," Cox said.

E-mail: losburn@bhamnews.com

Red State Justice. I love it.

Almost as good as NH charging the criminal aliens with Criminal Trespass.

We're still a red state at heart. Kerry only won by 1% here. Damned Masshole transplants!

oh for God's sake. This is why I came to despise working for a major newspaper. ANYTIME anything happens to a minority, in this case a Hispanic, suddenly "all" Hispanics are FEARFULL.

Bullchit.

When mafia thugs are arrested nobdoy says white people are fearful. But when its someone with brown skin, suddenly the whole group of them thinks one way. I wil bet you any amount of money this reporter is white too. This is their way of promoting an agenda. The Hispanics I know WANT a crackdown on gangs.

Infuriating.

Robert Cox, a Birmingham immigration attorney, said chances are slim that the people taken to Etowah County will remain in the country.

"I have people call me all the time who have a brother, a friend or other family member in this situation. Basically, I tell them if the person entered illegally and has been working, there is nothing under the law to save them," he said.

"It is going to cost you $4,000 to $6,000 to try, and you are not going to get anything out of it. I tell them to take the money and give it to their relative to go back to Mexico."

Music to my ears.

Hoover has their own homeland security dept. now. Hoover has a lot of problems with day laborers on Lorna Road.

Pelham and Alabaster are being over run with illegals. I am damned glad to see something being done! And if it just so happens that while they are checking people out and they turn out to be illegal DEPORT THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sick and tired of hispanic music blasting out of cars and their homes to the point that I can hear it INSIDE MY HOUSE WITH THE TV turned on!

Originally Posted by nhantimassredrebel

Red State Justice. I love it.

thank you for not saying "redneck state"

Yeah, well I come from a place where we get slapped with that moniker alot.

So I'm a little more sensitive than most in the Northeast Corridor.

"We understand there are concerns in Hoover, Pelham and Alabaster about the growing Latino community," Rubio said. "But it is our concern that Latino members of the community are being unfairly picked on, possibly victims of racial profiling. We have heard incidents where people are being asked to take off their shirts during routine traffic stops so tattoos can be photographed."

A witness to a Tuesday raid of an Alabaster mobile home park said federal agents were asking young men about gang involvement and took pictures of their tattoos.

"We are going to be targeted now," Castillo said. "The fear is that they will be waiting at the gate of the trailer park, waiting for people to come home from work."

Taking pictures of gang tattoos is nothing new. But to read this article it sounds like it is. I'll bet there are a lot of illegal gang memebers now that wish they woudn't have gotten their tattoos.

If they are stopped for probable cause, have done nothing wrong and cooperate and are not illegal, they don't have anything to worry about. I doubt that the police and FEDs will be at the entrance of the trailer park checking people as they come home from work.

There must be a high level of crime and gang activity for the FEDs to have stepped in there.

BobC - I agree with you. The race card has got to be thrown out. This is about illegal aliens and gang member criminals.

John--I have lots of Latino friends who have fled Mexico to get away from the gangs. I also have at least two friends who have leveled with me that they find human smuggling of Mexicans disgusting and wrong and hate how people think most Mexican Americans are for illegal immigration. It's all a lie propagated by meida liberals and brown racists. That's what people don't get. Mexican Americans are, for the msot part, very happy to be here and do NOT want the US to become like Mexico. However, that being said, I've noticed of late that attitude changing as we get flooded by low-wage, non-English speaking people. This is exactly why this tidal wave has to be stopped fast. They are not assimilating anymore and getting good jobs--they are getting crappy jobs and being urged NOT to assimilate. this is a recipe for disaster. Here in Texas illgals are everywhere but almost invisible--they kind of move in their own circles. But slowly our schools are changing and getting less able to teach due to the language barrier. I was talking to my adopted son Cody and his friend today--they are 15--and I asked how many kids in their school don't speak English and they estimated 50%. They then clarified that some of them could kind of understand English to a degree, but couldn't really speak it. Gangs are rampant.

I didn't have the heart to tell them this situation didn't exist 10 years ago. It is an astonishingly new phenomena.

Bob, I agree with you. In 1999 I moved into the community I now live. It was approximately a third caucasian, a third african american and a third hispanic. Now the hispanic's make up over half the community. We've had gang graffiti show up on several occasions. I live in a mobile home community and the lot rent has doubled since I moved in. My lot rent is now almost as much as my house payment. I'd like to move out but can't afford it just yet. Yet the hispanics keep moving in. Some are living 2-3 families to a home. The people who own the community now are catering to the hispanics. All of their banners and signs are in both english and spanish. The county schools are way overcrowded. My son goes to a high school that was just built two years ago so you would think it would have adequate space for the students but this coming school year they are having to bring in portable buildings to keep up with the influx of students. This has all got to be stopped.