Thread: WA Protesters want an end to security checkpoints

Protesters want an end to security checkpoints
06:50 PM PDT on Saturday, September 20, 2008
By CHRIS DANIELS / KING 5 News

PORT ANGELES, Wash. - Dozens of protesters lined the streets of downtown Port Angeles this afternoon, urging the federal government to stop security checkpoints on Olympic Peninsula roads.
This was the latest protest which has concerned the border patrol's increased presence at place like ferry terminals and rural roadways far from the border.
The feds say they are just doing their job of securing the country's gateways, but the protestors say agents have gone too far.
Layla Iranshad is one of several people who claim they were illegally stopped at a border patrol checkpoint on Highway 101 near Forks.
"They're looking for illegal immigrants and that's exactly what they're taking," Iranshad said.
Protesters calls themselves the Stop the Checkpoints Committee. They say the random spot stops by border agents at three different peninsula checkpoints are wrong.
The program is an extension of border checks at ferry terminals, which also drew the ire of locals.
But border agents, who have jurisdiction about 100 miles from the border, say the enforcement has worked.
Protesters gather in Port Angeles.
They say the reason for the checkpoints is to root out terrorist activity, drug runners and other illegal activity. So far there have been 16 arrests due to the roadblocks, and 14 have been immigration related.
"We are seeing some bad guys who are altering their methodologies to avoid showing up at the checkpoint locations," said Deputy Joe Guilano. "When we start seeing that happening, then we know we've sent the message and they have heard it loud and clear."
But the protestors say agents are setting a bad precedent and they'll continue to fight them as long as the checks continue


KING5.COM


Video at this link shows the only flags present at the protest were Mexican.

but the protestors say agents have gone too far.


Layla Iranshad is one of several people who claim they were illegally stopped at a border patrol checkpoint on Highway 101 near Forks.

How was she "illegally" stopped at a checkpoint?

And, just when I thought this woman could not possibly be as dimwitted as this remark made her sound..........

"They're looking for illegal immigrants and that's exactly what they're taking," Iranshad said

HUH?

Using her sense of logic, yesterday, when I went to the grocery looking for cantelope, I was supposed to pick up tomatoes instead or what?

BP is looking for illegal aliens so who are they supposed to be taking away......members of the local knitting circle? Who, if not the illegal aliens they are looking for?

The more I hear from the pro-illegals, the more I become convinced that, if I were an illegal alien, I'd realize that with such intelligent people in my corner I'm basically screwed and just go home

More than 100 protest Border Patrol roadblocks
By Tom Callis, Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES — More than 100 people called for an end to Border Patrol checkpoints and detentions of illegal immigrants during a protest march on Saturday.

Nearly 140 people gathered outside the Richard B. Anderson Federal Building on Front Street and marched to Rep. Norm Dicks' office on 332 E. First St.

Most were from across the North Olympic Peninsula — Port Angeles, Sequim, Forks and Port Townsend — while others came from as far away as Seattle, and even Victoria, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Canada.

The demonstration was organized by a newly formed group, Stop the Checkpoints Committee, in response to a recent surge in the number of Border Patrol roadblocks on the Peninsula.

The group formed during a meeting organized by Lois Danks of Radical Women and attended by 30 people about two weeks ago.

"This is not the way our country is meant to be," Danks told the crowd.

"We've got to stop the checkpoints."

Border Patrol roadblocks on U.S. Highway 101 north of Forks and on state Highway 104 near the Hood Canal Bridge have netted 25 arrests — 15 for immigration violations and 10 for minor drug violations — since they began more than a month ago, Joe Guiliano, Border Patrol spokesman, told KOMO TV.

Michael Bermudez, Border Patrol spokesperson, has said the checkpoints are part of a larger effort to secure the borders by apprehending terrorists, detering illegal entries through enforcing immigration laws, and catching drug smugglers.

Danks described it as a "drive to criminalize immigrants."

Port Townsend attorney Paul Richmond encouraged protesters to write to 6th Congressional representative Dicks, D-Belfair, and demand that the checkpoints to stop.

"Dicks is known for bringing home the bacon, and this is what we get," said Richmond, who challenged Dicks in the primary election, but didn't get enough votes to move on to the Nov. 4 general election.

Dicks is on the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Erick Schester of Port Townsend said everyone should be worried about the Border Patrol roadblocks.

"These checkpoints affect everyone across the board," he said.

Schester, who was one of the organizers of the demonstration, said the committee will determine what to do next at its next meeting.

That will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Port Angeles Senior Center.

Calls for referendum
Schester said he would like to see the committee support a referendum on the ballot next year, so that voters in Clallam and Jefferson counties can decide on whether the federal checkpoints should be held.

"If we're a democracy, we would have it done with a vote," he said.

A similar demonstration was held in Forks on Tuesday.

About 100 people there gathered at the Forks Transit Center and marched to Tillicum Park.

Rena Roldan, 20, was one of them.

She traveled from Forks to the Port Angeles demonstration, bringing her 3-year-old daughter and 7-month-old son.

She said their father is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.

"He said he can't go anywhere," she said.

"He's afraid."

Roldan said he lacked the money to hire an immigration lawyer to get her husband citizenship.

The fees can be between $1,000 and $5,000, she said.

She said four of his relatives have been detained from the Forks area.

Suzi Morris of Sequim joined the march out of concern for her adopted son, who is from Thailand.

"Are they going to believe he is a citizen if he doesn't have any ID?" Morris said.

"We shouldn't have to put up with this."
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/artic ... /809210305

"They're looking for illegal immigrants and that's exactly what they're taking," Iranshad said

HUH?

Don't bother trying to rationalize their thought process because they actually have to have a brain in order to have a thought process.

Rena Roldan, 20, was one of them.

She traveled from Forks to the Port Angeles demonstration, bringing her 3-year-old daughter and 7-month-old son.

She said their father is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.

Yes..I can see why this person would object to border patrol check points! As usual, the only ones protesting are those who have a vested interest in abolishing BP check points.

Keep up the check points!