Thread: N.C.: Undocumented immigrants appear in federal court

Undocumented immigrants appear in federal court

News/North Carolina

Posted by Rebekah L. Cowell on Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 11:57 AM

Ten undocumented immigrants who had been arrested during several workplace raids in the Triangle appeared in federal court in New Bern yesterday.

Employees of Durham-based J&A Framers—Rafael Garcia-Tiscareno, Jose Guadalupe Rodriguez, Victorino Gutierrez-Licona, Lucio Huerta-Ponce, Luis Humberto Huerta-Ponce, Luis Raul Huerta-Ponce, Juan Manuel Martinze Rodriguez, Jorge Alberto Ruiz-Ponce, Flavio Martinez-Andres and Olegario Ortega-Solis were arrested in November by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Cary, Apex and Chapel Hill.

The defendants pleaded guilty of entering the United States illegally; two of the defendants pleaded guilty to reentering the United States after previous deportations.

U.S. Magistrate Judge David W. Daniel presided over the hearing because Chief District Judge Louise W. Flanagan was absent. However, Daniel doesn't have the authority to make the final sentence ruling, so the 10 employees remain jailed. They could serve an additional 90 days before a sentence is handed down.

Mason asked the court to expedite the sentencing of her clients. “If that request is denied, the sentencing will likely be set for the May term of court,â€

[quote="jean"]
Mason asked the court to expedite the sentencing of her clients. “If that request is denied, the sentencing will likely be set for the May term of court,â€

The court should have had the authority to simply throw them out of the country today., not in may.