Hispanic leaders meet with sheriff to discuss immigration laws
By MICHAEL WELLES SHAPIRO

Published Sunday, July 27, 2008

Responding to a recent crackdown on illegal immigration, local Hispanic leaders met with Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner on Tuesday.

The meeting had a few tense moments -- a reflection of the upheaval in the Hispanic community after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began targeting suspected illegal immigrants booked in county jails across the state.

The group of local pastors, businessmen, Spanish-language media representatives and other Hispanic community leaders said they were caught off guard when ICE's "Operation Surge" began in Beaufort County. Tanner said he plans to continue the program once federal agents leave, using five deputies trained to enforce

immigration laws.

"There are too many rumors and comments on the street," said Luis Bell of the Latin American Council. "That's why the group of concerned people got together with (Tanner) on Tuesday.

"There were a number of questions that the answers weren't what everyone wanted to hear, but it was a nice, informative meeting."

Tanner agreed that the meeting on Hilton Head Island mostly was civil.

He said he addressed a long list of questions and tried to clarify what was happening with the program. "The pastors of the churches had a million and one questions from their congregations," he said.

Some of those questions had basic answers: If you don't have a driver's license, don't drive.

But many leaders at the meeting were upset by the broader policy of targeting illegal immigrants.

One of the pastors at the meeting, Jose Rosado of Iglesia Ebenezer in Bluffton, said he was upset Tanner was planning to continue the program to identify suspected illegal immigrants in the jail regardless of the nature of their crime.

Rosado said he will be working in coming weeks to rally support for the Hispanic community in the face of county, state and federal measures meant to address the problem of illegal immigration.

Rosado said he wants religious leaders, regardless of their race or the race of their ministries, to take a stand.

"Why aren't they speaking up about what is happening to Hispanic people in the area?" he said. "A lot of English-speaking churches have Hispanic ministries ... but their leaders are crossing their arms."

Eric Esquivel, publisher of La Isla magazine and who also was at the meeting, said he will host a meeting of Hispanic leaders Monday.

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