I stumbled on this article when reading the Casper Star Tribune online this morning. I’d like to say that it was while enjoying a Saturday morning cup of coffee, but I quit the stuff on March 10th. Ugh! I miss it most on quiet Saturday mornings. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I had a hard time believing the opening paragraphs of the article:
HOUSTON - Mayra Figueroa a naturalized U.S. citizen, community organizer and licensed driver had no reason to fear being arrested, no need to worry about deported.
Then she was pulled over by a Houston police officer, who told her he found it suspicious that a Latina was driving a late-model car. The first thing the officer requested? Figueroa’s Social Security card, as proof of citizenship.
Who else doesn’t think this is true? Ms. Figueroa gets pulled over and the officer tells her he found it suspicious that a Latina was driving a late-model car? I doubt that. Most traffic stops are recorded, and I’m thinking no police officer would be that ignorant. I could be wrong, but that would be an unusual occurrence too. 
The AP author uses this article to justify why it is wrong to either deport or threaten to deport illegals. Here are some examples:
But as local governments feel mounting frustration over illegal immigration, that hands-off attitude is disappearing. More than 100 local law enforcement agencies including Los Angeles and Orange counties in California and Maricopa County in Arizona, which includes Phoenix have begun or are waiting for training to help the Department of Homeland Security root out illegal immigrants and hand them over for deportation.
Advocates say the training beefs up the power of the overworked Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency. Detractors say it will discourage millions of immigrants from reporting crime or cooperating with police investigations. They also cite evidence of poor training and overeager cops, like the one who questioned Figueroa.
Well, if they shouldn’t be here, send them packing. Period.
And what in the world is going on in New Jersey and when did Minnesota elect a Republican Governor?:
In New Jersey, the Attorney General ordered police to ask arrested suspects about their immigration status. In Minnesota, Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed an executive order requiring state agents to enforce immigration law.
“When my deputies come across illegals, they arrest them even on traffic violations,” said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “People ask me why I am taking this on? The last I heard, crossing the border is an illegal activity. I took an oath of office to enforce the law, so I am enforcing the law.”
Ready for the experts?
But some experts say it could spell the end of cooperating with police in immigrant neighborhoods.
I’m just guessing … but I think the author might mean illegal immigrant neighborhoods.
“People are very, very fearful of interaction with law enforcement, said Susan Shah, with the New York-based Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit. “Even people with legal status, whose families may have mixed immigration status, now have a fear of opening the door.”
That fear has been exacerbated by accounts some rumored, some real of people being turned over to immigration officials after being stopped for minor offenses such as traffic violations and loitering, or after going to police to report a crime.
In Newark, N.J., a freelance photographer who stumbled upon on a dead body in an alley and reported the discovery to police was detained and asked about his immigration status.
In Falls Church, Va., staffers at the Tarirhu Justice Center, which works with immigrant victims of domestic abuse, say they are fielding calls from women who have been assaulted, yet refuse to go to police.
“When there’s confusion about what policy applies to you and when it does, the safe course of action is to avoid authorities altogether,” said Jeanne Smoot, the center’s director of public policy.
In Durham, N.C., police recently investigated a string of robberies targeting Latino immigrants, who the thieves saw as “soft targets” because they’d be reluctant to call police.
Only after officials reassured local residents that they would not be reported to ICE did they get the information needed to solve the cases, said Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez.
I guess I’m thinking this is one reason we have immigration laws in the first place — to prevent these scenarios. Illegals being victimized by other illegals who realize the chances of their victims reporting the crimes are slim.
Crossing the border illegally is a crime. So, all these illegals are criminals and really have no respect for any other laws in our nation. Why should they? It is not their nation nor the blood of their families that has been shed for the freedoms we enjoy.
The people who claim that the United States cannot survive without illegal aliens to do the work that Americans won’t do are no different that the people who didn’t think our nation could survive without slavery. How did that work out?
Sphere: Related Content
I guess we need to legalize all illegal aliens so they will feel more comfortable reporting crimes. The next logical step would be to legalize the crimes so they wouldn’t need to worry about having crimes to report.
Sam Pierce’s last blog post..What else can the benevolent government save us from?
Yes, Sam, using their logic really sounds insane doesn’t it?
On another note, have you managed to help eat all the kid’s Easter candy yet? My husband and I always felt obligated when Tieki was little to help her eat all that candy. Too much candy is not good for kids!
Sam beat me to it, but here it goes anyway.
Wait, that’s not the same? Why not? Oh… wait. Because 95% of illegals would vote Democrat. They want their welfare bennies, and they want them now. “Coming to America to seek a better life” means coming here with hands outstretched, drugs in pocket, and illegitimate children running amok.
Get a visa, get a clue, and get some family values. Then we’ll talk about how “fearful” you are.
theobromophile’s last blog post..Blogging, Schmologging
P.S. This reminds me of why I love you:
@*(& straight - not well. Let’s import a permanent underclass! To ensure that these immigrant children won’t make good, we’ll make sure that they can never learn English (bi-lingual education, anyone?), discourage “assimilation,” and offer out treats like “in-state tuition for illegal immigrants” to tantalise them with the idea that their kids, too, can go to an excellent American university. Reality: in a generation, we will have a caste system.
theobromophile’s last blog post..Blogging, Schmologging
Exactly Bridget! Just because the illegals are willing participants, does not make it right.
This is why I love my blogging friends that stop in to leave a comment. You say things that I think, but just do not express as beautifully as you do.
The kids have a little candy left… maybe they can be persuaded to send it to the children of illegal aliens. I’m sure The Easter Bunny has joined the xenophobic crowd in discriminating against these poor souls.
Bridget did a great job summarizing the creation of the permanent underclass!
Sam Pierce’s last blog post..Rapist tells Democrats to “relax and let this happen.”
Yeah, so “immigrants” won’t report crimes to the police for fear of being netted, eh? How perfectly fitting that when we doubters say,
“Sure… like who? Prove it!”
…the writers say “we can’t name names, but they really, really do exist!”
How convenient… I’ve always been enamoured with the “anonymous sources” tag. Does anyone remember the snake in the childhood movie The Jungle Book and his sing song “Trust in Me”???
Defiant_Infidel’s last blog post..Thinking, Working, Getting Quiet…
I’ve watched that movie more than a dozen times DI. Of course I remember that song! I, too, have problems with the anonymous source tags. If you ask me, I’d say it is abused to the max.
Tammi’s last blog post..Where’s Daisy?
Interesting article. Particularly regarding the level of law enforcement training. I’ve posted a copy of my recent press release that describes this issue a bit closer.
First Responder Survey shows Inadequacies in Training and Readiness.
The Homeland Security Group conducted a four-year survey addressing training, readiness and a variety of challenges faced by First Responders. Respondents of the survey included law enforcement, security, intelligence, emergency management personnel and other members engaged in homeland security and first response duties. The results of this survey show that after the attacks in September 2001, inadequacies remain regarding first responder preparation.
PRLog (Press Release) - April 30, 2008 - The survey focused on three main areas of concentration: Training, Hindrances and whether first responders feel they are adequately protected from a secondary attack. The questions posed during the survey address levels of readiness contrasting criminal vs. terror investigations.
Training
Respondents were asked if they believe their agency has received proper training to determine differences between a criminal vs. terror incident. Of those responding to the survey, 58 percent stated they lack sufficient training. Many respondents indicated they lack sufficient training in WMD-related preparedness. Others described information sharing issues. While this initially appears to fit within the category of hindrances, many indicated that they lack proper training regarding who to share with, how to initiate and maintain communication and what issues specifically require external coordination.
Hindrances
Respondents were asked three questions regarding whether the media, public or their own self-expectations hindered a criminal vs. a terror investigation. Responses indicate that 91 percent consider that the media poses a hindrance; 87 percent believe public expectations hinder an investigation, and 94 percent blame their own personal expectations as an encumbrance.
Preparation for Secondary Attack
Respondents were asked if they believe they are adequately protected from secondary attacks during a possible criminal or terrorist incident. The survey shows that 91 percent of those responding feel they are not protected. Numerous comments by respondents indicated they actually expect a secondary attack during a terrorist incident but they lack training, resources and personnel for such an event.
Homeland Security Group founder, Anthony M. Davis began this survey four years ago intending to measure the readiness level of first responders. “I hoped to find some successes throughout the survey that could be translated to agencies nationwide”, he said. “Yet, throughout the measurement period, the numbers remained constant. While we’ve been very busy as a nation, we may not have been overly successful in preparing and protecting our personnel. There’s plenty of work to be done still.”
Mr. Anthony M. Davis began publishing the Homeland Security Report as a free service to law enforcement, intelligence, security and emergency management personnel in October 2001. Each report is an open source view of homeland security issues and provides select officer safety information. Based on the ongoing results of the survey and discussions with first responders worldwide, Anthony M. Davis began authoring “Terrorism and the Maritime Transportation System.”
According to Mr. Davis, “This book is not so much about terrorism. It is intended as a guide to provide first responders a view of the perspective need for readiness in the face of a potential attack.”The expected availability of the new text, “Terrorism and the Maritime Transportation System” is in May 2008.
More information on the Homeland Security Group is available at http://www.homelandsecuritygroup.info
Contact Information
admin@homelandsecuritygroup.info
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