Thread: CA: Agent flags array of offenders Felonies, misdemeanors...

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1562477.php

Agent flags array of offenders.
Felonies, misdemeanors caught with immigration checks in Costa Mesa

Friday, February 2, 2007
By JEFF OVERLEY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

COSTA MESA – Immigration checks here have led to likely deportation for people suspected of a wide range of offenses, from robbery to drug possession to jaywalking, a detailed accounting of the two-month-old program shows.

Costa Mesa police recently released arrest records they say include all people detained for immigration violations since a federal agent began staffing the city jail Dec. 4.

In January, 58 of about 470 people arrested were flagged. That's up from 46 of about 400 arrested in December.

Many of those people were first picked up for minor offenses. Fifteen were arrested for driving without a license or for showing fake identification. Three cases involved simple infractions: jaywalking, failing to observe a stop sign and riding a bicycle on the wrong side of the road.

Such arrests are "troubling," said Hector Villagra, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California Orange County office. "There's a lot of fear of what might happen if you have any contact with the police at this point," he said.

With the program still relatively new, other immigrant-rights advocates are taking a wait-and-see approach.

"Looking at just December and January, it's hard for me to assess that that's a problem yet," said Matthew Strieker, a staff attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which is tracking the Costa Mesa program.

Dozens of suspected felons, whose alleged crimes include selling narcotics or stealing cars, have been arrested as well. But even before the federal agent arrived, felons often faced immigration checks once transferred out of the city jail.

At the same time, many cases involved more serious misdemeanors that, without the federal agent, might not lead to deportation. Those offenses include assault, hit and run and disorderly conduct.

Mayor Allan Mansoor said he is "very grateful and fully supportive of what (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is doing."

"The ultimate impact is going to be that crime is going to continue to go down," he said.

Overall, 44 cases involved felonies, 57 involved misdemeanors and three were solely for infractions.

After being stopped for an infraction, a person who doesn't have identification can prove his or her identity by providing a name that an officer can check against DMV records, Costa Mesa police Sgt. Bob Ciszek said.

If nothing turns up, California law allows police to detain a person for two hours for further screening.

It's not clear how many people charged with serious crimes were first stopped for infractions or misdemeanors. Both Villagra and Strieker plan to review arrest data for possible civil-rights violations. "If they are implementing it fairly across the board, there should be no equal-protection concerns," Strieker said.

Officials with ICE declined to comment on the latest figures. After previously disclosing that 46 people were detained in December, ICE regional director Jim Hayes said the tally was slightly higher than he expected.

Hayes has said he plans to evaluate the program at the end of February.

Contact the writer: 714- 445-6683 or joverley@ocregister.com

Local enforcement DOES work!

The local governments LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE, unlike the Federal government who only listens to Corporate America and Mexico!!