Thread: ICE chief: Agency has learned from New Bedford factory raid

03/07/2008
ICE chief: Agency has learned from New Bedford factory raid



BOSTON (AP) - The director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Wednesday that the agency has learned humanitarian lessons from the raid a year ago at a New Bedford factory in which 361 workers were detained.
Most workers arrested at leather goods manufacturer Michael Bianco Inc. were women, and immigrant advocates criticized ICE for separating families and leaving children without proper care.
But Julie Myers, the assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in a visit to Boston that the agency made "extraordinary" humanitarian efforts during the raid.
"I think the agents in this case acted professionally, and I think we did above and beyond what I have seen done in any other law enforcement action," she said.
About 35 of those arrested who identified themselves as sole caregivers for children were released immediately, she said. More sole caregivers were later released at a detention center at Devens.
Those apprehended were also give access to telephones at Devens and were given information in Spanish and English about how to contact the state Department of Social Services. A toll-free number was also set up for people trying to find out the status of a loved one.
Since the New Bedford raid, ICE has been accompanied on subsequent raids by officials from the Division of Immigration Health Services, who identify sole caregivers and ask people with medical issues, she said.
Harvey Kaplan, who represented the immigrants in federal court, disputed Myersº assessment of the raid.
"They have whitewashed this whole thing from the start," he said.
He said although the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled it had no jurisdiction over the case, it sharply condemned the government's handling of the raid.
The court said in its ruling that ICE "gave social



welfare agencies insufficient notice of the raid, that caseworkers were denied access to detainees until after the first group had been transferred, and that various ICE actions temporarily thwarted any effective investigation into the




detainees' needs."
Kaplan also questioned why the inspector general of Homeland Security is looking into the raid if it went so smoothly. "The inspector general wouldn't investigate unless there's some smoke there," he said.
Myers said ICE is cooperating fully with the review.
Of the 361 immigrants arrested, mostly women from Central America, 165 have been deported, according to ICE officials. The rest are still making their way through the legal process, and one man remains in jail, although ICE spokeswoman Paula Grenier said she did not know why.
Myers said the agency is concentrating efforts now on going after employers of undocumented workers, rather than the workers themselves, describing businesses that employ illegal immigrants as ''magnets.''
''Until we can convince companies to comply and until we can shut off the magnet, people will continue to try to come into this country illegally,'' she said.
She also said the agency is stepping up efforts to deport criminal aliens, including gang members; identifying undocumented immigrants in jail or prison; and working with foreign governments to dismantle international smuggling organizations.
Myers was in Boston the day before the one-year anniversary of the New Bedford raid, but said the timing was a coincidence. She was invited to speak at Harvard Law School on Wednesday night.






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Harvey Kaplan, who represented the immigrants in federal court, disputed Myersº assessment of the raid.
"They have whitewashed this whole thing from the start," he said.

Kaplan also questioned why the inspector general of Homeland Security is looking into the raid if it went so smoothly. "The inspector general wouldn't investigate unless there's some smoke there," he said.

Do OBL lawyers ever say anything positive?

I say if they are the sole caregivers then still send them and the kids packing. This crap about separating family's is nonsense too. Ho do you explain all the guys here and the women and kids in Mexico??? they are separated anyway. Not our problem.

What worries me is that only 165 were deported. The remainder of nearly 200 are in the immigration process...not held? They probably have moved as is typical. I can see givivg a break to those with medical conditions or elderly, but they were all working in a fed gov contracted sweat shop and I suppose that this was not the case.

I can see givivg a break to those with medical conditions or elderly

I say the break is an nice comfortable ride back to Mexico instead of a crowded Paddy wagon! Get them out no matter how. Use the government planes and fly them home as practice for our millitary personal. They got here so they can leave here. Aren't they lucky we will give them a ride for gods sake? What would Mexico do for us? NOTHING! Those with medical conditions or are elderly, are really sucking away our economy, here and in the government, which is STILL us!

Lets just put them on Airforce 1

Originally Posted by fmrjarhead

Lets just put them on Airforce 1

Have each one tell us how they got here and how much they paid. Send them back the same way and not charge them the fee. A walk through the desert, water supplied and no charge what more can they ask for.

Each should have a check run to see what social services they are receiving, who SS# they are using and charges filed. As a U.S.Citizen I would be charged if caught. Publish amounts they have received and maybe the pro-illegal aliens would wake-up.

Originally Posted by BigLake13

Have each one tell us how they got here and how much they paid. Send them back the same way and not charge them the fee. A walk through the desert, water supplied and no charge what more can they ask for.

Each should have a check run to see what social services they are receiving, who SS# they are using and charges filed. As a U.S.Citizen I would be charged if caught. Publish amounts they have received and maybe the pro-illegal aliens would wake-up.

Pro-illegal immigrant people won't wake-up till it's their identity stolen. I mean, you can only feel sorry for them for so long. I know the walk here is dangerous. They get robbed, raped and murdered trying to come here. But we cannot afford another countries charity cases, hospitalization, and the jobs they take. It's time to say,' I'm not taking it anymore!" I really don't know what it will take for the American people to have revolt on the government. I mean like a hostile take-over. I'm surprised we are all so calmly, bending over and taking it? We need a leader to unite us and not just in words. Though I must admit that it alleviates my anger.