ICE getting tougher with illegals; sending them to prison
The recent raid on the Agriprocessors plant in Waterloo, Iowa, led to the detention of 389 probable illegal aliens working there. But instead of a quick plane ride back to Mexico, 270 of the workers who were using fraudulent ID now face a little five-month stopover at the Gray Bar Hotel:
The unusually swift proceedings, in which 297 immigrants pleaded guilty and were sentenced in four days, were criticized by criminal defense lawyers, who warned of violations of due process. Twenty-seven immigrants received probation. The American Immigration Lawyers Association protested that the workers had been denied meetings with immigration lawyers and that their claims under immigration law had been swept aside in unusual and speedy plea agreements.
The illegal immigrants, most from Guatemala, filed into the courtrooms in groups of 10, their hands and feet shackled. One by one, they entered guilty pleas through a Spanish interpreter, admitting they had taken jobs using fraudulent Social Security cards or immigration documents. Moments later, they moved to another courtroom for sentencing.
The article suggests a federal case is being built against Agriprocessors as well for employing (and exploiting shamefully ) so many illegals. The judge sounds tough but fair:
Judge Bennett appeared moved by Mr. Nadler’s remarks. “I don’t doubt for a moment that you are good, hard-working people who have done what you did to help your families,” Judge Bennett told the immigrants. “Unfortunately for you, you committed a violation of federal law.”
Meanwhile out in San Diego, a three-week ICE sting has led to the arrest of 905 more illegal aliens. I wonder whether ICE and federal prosecutors will continue to make an example of the ID thieves among them.
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Trackbacks
- Illegal Aliens Going To The Pokey » Pirate’s Cove — Give No Quarter!
- Surprisingly cool team: Judge Bennett and ICE « Seeing Red AZ
- Random-American » 270 Illegal Immigrants Convicted and Sent to Prison
- Shadowscope
- Michelle Malkin » WSJ calls the Iowa ICE raid “Immigration Theater”
- The Patriot Room
- Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » The ICE Hammer Falls [Reader Post]
- Michelle Malkin » Charges for employing illegal alien workers hit higher up the food chain
- ICE getting serious in CA « HoodaThunk?
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The ICE doing a good job? If I didn’t know any better I’d think it was an April Fool’s joke.
I really hope this is just the beginning of a trend, and not just a show.
As for due process – hey, these illegals aren’t US citizens, so why should they be given the rights of US citizens? They certainly didn’t give a crap about the rights of the US citizens whose ID’s they stole.
Wow, I can’t believe they did something in San Diego. It’s surprising that it wasn’t all over the LA news tonight.
Would seem like good news, but in reality we may just be giving them three free meals a day for the next five months. Afterwards, they will probably just wait for McBama to open the border up.
There I fixed it for you.
I really hope that this truly is the beginning of a true crackdown and not just some make the voters happy scam.
How can they lock them up when they have Get Out of Jail Free Cards aka Children at Home?
When are they coming to south Ga. and do something about them down here. The local police will not do anything to them. Even when they are caught doing something against the law they look the other way. I wonder who can we hold responsible if an american citizen is injuried by an illegal. Can we hold local, state and federal accountable? I am glad to see them do something but they still have alot to round up and it will take long after i am gone the rate they are going.
Did any of the owners or execs of this business show up in court show up in handcuffs and shackles? Conspiring to commit a felony— is a felony ! wouldn’t this be a great case to try out the RICO law ?
They get 3 square meals a day, free healthcare, cable tv (in Spanish, of course) and exercise. Once that’s done, they’re released back across the border on a Saturday, back across on a Monday, and back to work by Wednesday. Until we make it unprofitable for these people to live here tax-free, they’ll just keep coming and draining our economy.
Correction: Agriprocessors is in Postville, not Waterloo. Postville is roughly 55 to the NE of Waterloo.
This will not end until the American people are told The Truth about these and other illegal aliens who continue to murder our innocent citizens and then are “excused” from their crimes just like our favorite minorities were and continue to be given get out of jail free cards.
“…were criticized by criminal defense lawyers, who warned of violations of due process”
WTH? Plead guilty and ‘due process’ is more than satisfied. Rather, they should be commending the justice dept. on having speedy trials.
This is the way the system is supposed to work, but my cynicism knows no bounds.
This is an election year, and we have three – count them, three – open borders candydates running for president. Look for a
slacking offceasing in about 3,2,1..GA,
When are your next local elections? If your local authorities are not doing their jobs I suggets starting a grass roots campaign to get the limp wristed wimps out of office and put someone up for election who has a pair.
All politics are local and I find that the direct approach with the local politicians, judges, and sheriffs works pretty well. You just need to get the community behind you and make a lot of noise.
Good luck!
TMoney,
Forget the national election. As I said to GA, lets get the local elections being decided in our favor. The sooner we do that the sooner we can start holding the feds accountable. The grassroots has already proved that it can make a difference. Don’t give up and keep fighting. It worked in Anbar and it will work at home.
One more thing, begging your communal pardon.
An adage that fits this scenario like an indictment for rape on a UN worker: Don’t p*ss down my back and tell me it’s raining.
ICE will be doing a great job till January 2009.
If ICE was serious about catching illegals, the easiest place to find them is laundromats. The one I use is full of Mexicans with endless reams of children, all doing their laundry and chattering away in Espanol. Even the damned television sets are turned to the Spanish stations. I feel like I’m in a third world country when I do my laundry. Hell of a note. Hola, too.
In my part of Georgia it’s 99% liberal. I’ve been trying for 12 years to get some of them out of office, but they’re still there. I’m not giving up, though. I’m glad to see ICE finally doing something, and also hope it’s just not for show.
I missed UNDERSEIGE247’s post and agree 100%. With Barack Hussain Obama going in, the ICE personnel might just as well start looking for another job, because the Department will probably be shut down from lack of work. I hope they get a lot of them out of the country by then.
Bradley,the television at my laundromat is too high for the Guatemalans to reach, so at least they have to suffer English while washing their clothes.
I this was happening combined with a potential president in ‘09 who didn’t have amnesty near the top of their “to-do” list I’d feel a lot better.
I submit that they were denied meetings with customs officials at the border!
Kind of an interesting twist on that famous statement “put a little ICE on that!”
GO ICE!!!
(Can we assume that McCain and the others will quickly dismantle this “unusual and speedy” justice?
I have absolutely no doubt this is nothing other than election year Kabuki Theatre to convince the unwashed American masses how tough the GOP run administration is on illegal invaders. Too bad they didn’t act like this after 9/11. I am not buying it until I see more and more raids along with mass deportations and the indictment, prosecution, fines, fees, and real time in “bang me in the butt” federal prison of employers that knowingly hire them. Between this and the importing of tech sector workers from India and Pakistan (screwing qualified Americans out of jobs) the government has allowed American wages to be depressed for decades to the point that one income can no longer come close to providing the essentials of life (food, clothing, shelter, transportation, utilities, health care, etc.). With this being an election year where are the Congress critters that always put the pressure on ICE to stop doing their jobs like they always do? More than likely hiding under their desks not taking calls from the Agri- Business donors. Nice try ICE, but I am not buying it because most of us here know this get tough on illegal invaders program stops the day after Election Day.
They have until Jan 20, then it all ends … I wonder why Bush didn’t do this for oh, the last 7 years or so?
Legacy time …
I’m glad to see this but I’d rather see the employers and the providers of illegal documents in shackles. These poor schleps are the pawns caught in the middle.
Were it the Abu-Gray Bar Hotel…
Lest we forget, there are two innocent men in prison. Will a pardon come with the new POTUS? Why not? Some very important questions.
Soap,
After all the heat that he has taken over the Ramos and Compean cases I doubt you will see any pardons.
There is also the small problem of Sutton being investigated over the Davila problems.
I see a gloomy outcome for those two and it breaks my heart to see law enforcement officers treated like that. And don’t forget Officer Hernandez who was also prosecuted by Sutton.
Where is the ACLU on this? I mean we have a Ramos, Compean, and Hernandez being railroaded. Ironic isn’t it?
Exactly, a concept not so foreign.
A lot of those locked up will no longer be sending money down to Guatemala. Mass raids like this probably get multiple source of the same recipients at the same time. A major economic blow.
Lock them up enough times and you DO take the profit motive out of it for them, especially if the jail time increases the next time they are caught.
Wonderful news, just keep it up ICE. I am so tired of the ‘poor illegals rights’.
L
I guess it’s time to rewrite the BorderHopper’s manual to include possible jail time. Why did it take so long to enforce our laws? Did the gov think that only americans could be jailed?
I think this is all for show to appease people who do not see much progress on border security, right before the election. This is meant to help Juan McCain, in my opinion, so he can get into office and while there say: the border IS secure now, let’s go head with amnesty, I mean comprehensive reform. I don’t buy it one bit. It was like the border fence law passed in 2006 hoping for votes. Many saw right right thru it and many stayed home.
Yeah Rambler, isn’t it incredible. The politicians want us to forgive these repeat offenders of various crimes (border crossing, fraudulent docs, not paying taxes, drunk driving, etc.) but if a US citizen or legal resident did any of these, they would be in jail and in the case of a legal resident, they will be deported (if crime is serious enough, I think a felony) right after the sentence. So illegals get special treatment and I am sooo sick and tired of it.
I’m a warehouseman, grocery supply. We have a freight lumper service doing the unloading of our inbound suppliers. Guess how many of these folks can speak English ! Mostly Mexicans. Some time back, five showed up from Fiji. Shortly after that some of us (including myself) started coming down with bronchial/ sinus infections that were VERY hard to get rid of. A lot of us missed work because we couldn’t breath ! Short time after that, the Fiji-ians disappeared. Shot records ? Health cards ??
Its pretty bad when even the Mexicans couldn’t understand them !
spo-con,
Excellent point about the diseases that are brought into the country by all of these third world illegals. The rates of TB and other previously conquered diseases are growing rapidly. We in the military get innoculated above and beyond what the rest of the US citizens get and it costs a bunch to get us up to date. Look at the cost to the country if we have to start innoculating everyone against diseases we once rid ourselves of.
We should force all of the pro illegals to have lunch, dinner, or whatever with these people every day. With their families. After all whats good for us is good for them.
The 900 arrested weren’t all in San Diego, about half were up north and a large percentage were in LA.
Over 40% were convicted criminals that ignored deportation orders.
Immigration Sting Nets 905 Arrests in California
To Expat…….yes , this goes on constantly. We have independant supply drivers from all over the planet ! Mostly middle east, Russia and Ukraine. Plus these lumpers. Our loading docks sound like the lobby at the U.N. building . And NONE of them wash after using our restrooms ! Filthy little ba$!ards .
Jail time is good. And oh by the way, please, please could it be in Sheriff Arpaio’s (sp?) ‘prison’ down in Arizona where they get green balogna sandwiches and wear pink jumpsuits?
The jail time makes sure they are finger printed and have a criminal record so that if we ever get around to securing the border, one check and they should be denied entry.
Hum… here in Vegas … they don’t care about the illegals driving our roads without car insurance… stealing jobs from Americans and stealing social security numbers…
from what I heard, the whole southern part of Nevada only has 2 ICE agents.
Not to mention the huge amount of babies being born to illegals in our hospitals that we tax payers pay for.
Our county hospital lost 1.4 billion dollars due to illegals.
Of course criminal defense lawyers are concerned about “due process”. But you can be sure it has nothing to do with the moral high ground of concern for the welfare of illegal aliens. Its all about money. Defense lawyers are smacking their lips at the thought of all those arrests and the belief that somebody will pay them big bucks to defend them. Lawyers charge by the hour, and they certainly wouldn’t want those arrested to be moved quickly and efficiently through the courts.
spo-con,
to those libs who want to equate the US with the rest of the world and make them the equal of us, show them your restroom. I am not kidding. I sponsored a Jordanian in my advance course and he and his buddies used to steam the bathroom and towel off. Maid asked me to talk to them which I did. The eastern europeans are just as bad. And don’t get me started on the Afghans, but in their case they are living in the late 1800’s.
WAKE UP AMERICA!!
Americans just are too dumb to realize their own politicians are selling them out, starting with the “president / commander-in-chief”, who is concerned, pay attention:
- Wealth.
- Votes.
Ofcourse, this applies to 99% politicians, except patriots like Tom Tancredo.
Again, American politicians are the real enemy. Get it?
This will all come to a screeching halt when the next Prez takes office (either McCain or OBORGama).
They’ll be handed a dual application for amnesty and citizenship plus a few bucks to help tide them over while they learn the ropes to pass some dumbed down citizenship test that few Liberal CongressCritters could pass.
It’s all about being ‘fair’.
What part of ‘Wash Hands After Use” don’t they get ? Oh, thats right, English is the SECOND language here now. I also don’t see how they get these special licences when they can’t seem to read our road signs !
I’m glad the employers are being held responsible. If they didn’t offer these jobs, they wouldn’t have came. Nah, they still would of, nevermind.
Probation for an illegal immigrant?
Also heard Sheriff Joe say in an interview “they have cable t.v…1 station, the weather channel, so they know how hot it is in Phoenix.”
Little salt in the wounds, i love it.
Here in NC we finally closed a loophole in NC law that allowed illegals to go to our community Colleges as out of state students. At least they could until the State AG advised the community college system to “revise that policy” and here when the AG says something like that you comply.
A baby step perhaps, but one in the right direction.
About time we started acknowledging that they are stealing identities.
If you are here legally, you have a valid TIN (taxpayer’s identification number) or a social security number. If you don’t have either of these and are taking money under the table (cash) then you are not paying taxes. If you are using someone else’s ID, you are creating an enormous headache for them and the IRS.
Crossing the border illegally. One crime. Stealing another person’s ID. Another crime.
Wonder how the Catholic Church can ignore these crimes and pretend that we are mean by requiring people to follow our laws.
We need to stop the scams.
Anyone hiring another person for peanut wages is no more than a legal slave owner.
expat
They are all in bed together. This town is like walking back into the 19th century. There are a few families in this town that control everything. They are allowed to get by with whatever they want cause they have an actual control over everything from the city, county counsels, to planning and growth. Walgreens bought property here to build a store but the planninng commission has said that they have to pay a fee to allow them to conduct business in this town. I would love to be able to get rid of them. Have tried in the pass to get rid of the corrupt sherriff but all that got me was being pulled over everytime i was driving and having my vehicle searched and harrassement from his deputies. I wish someone would look into this town cause the people who run it allow illegals to live without any care of ever having to worry about law enforcement. They get drunk driving charges one after another and still the police do nothing to stop the maddness.
Glenn Beck went into this on his show the other night. About how this is nothing more than modern day slavery. He pointed out how the “housing” is sometimes a dirty mattress rented so the illegals can get a few hours sleep and then be paid next to nothing. Its the employers that need to be arrested and barred from having business licenses and government contracts.
Just found this:
Looks like ICE has been busy.
84 unauthorized immigrants arrested
Web Posted: 05/23/2008 11:26 PM CDT
Express-News
Immigration agents picked up more than 80 unauthorized immigrants throughout South Texas this week.
According to a news release from the San Antonio office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the four-day operation netted 84 immigrants in San Antonio, Austin and the Rio Grande Valley.
Five ‘fugitive operations teams’ fanned through the area in search of ‘targets,’ finding 56 of them while arresting 28 others encountered during the stakeout.
I hope they make as many arrests and deportations as possible before this november.
How lovely for Iowa. However, here in northern Virginia we have renamed ICE as “NICE”.
Although NICE ostensibly ‘arrested’ 59 illegal alien invaders who were working at the exclusive Landsdown Resort and using fake or stolen immigration documents, these illegals were immediately released on their own recognizance and with ‘no bond’ placed upon them.
Why, you ask?
Poor NICE has no beds for them, we are told.
Any wagers on how many of these illegals will actually show up for their hearing? My money is on ZERO – any takers?
In my never-to-be-humble opinion, all these raids by NICE are a politically motivated farce – - a kabuki dance to lull the great unwashed masses into the erroneous belief that our immigration laws are actually being enforced. And as soon as we accept that fantasy as reality, we will be happy to accept the scamnesty as a ‘compromise’ for those illegals who are just ‘doing the jobs that Americans won’t do’.
As soon as NICE erects the tent cities as Sheriff Joe as done in Arizona and confines the illegals they ‘arrest’, we’ll consider renaming them. Until then, they are simply NICE to the illegal alien invaders. Just not to us American citizens.
No beds for them? Make them sleep on the floor!
Let’s hope it is the start of a trend but fear it’s just a show.
Yeah it is a show. Everyone knows once the evil Bush is gone they can all run wild and do whatever they want.
There’s actually a lot more to this story. The whole raid was a $10 million boondoggle to “arrest” only 300 or so illegal aliens (the rest got notices to (Dis)appear) and give them “time served” (a few hours or a couple of days) for crime using fake IDs. Read the whole scoop on the raid with inside info from fed up ICE agents who participated in the raid.
BTW, you are not correct that 389 illegal aliens were detained. Only between 306 and 340 were. The rest (more than 50 arrested) were released and given Notices to (Dis)Appear. See the links in my above post for the details. In addition, most were not Mexicans. The majority were Guatemalans, and we don’t have the same agreement with that country as we do with Mexico. The Guatemalans must have travel documents and be accepted for entry into Guatemala in order to be flown there, thus the hotel stay. The whole system is incompetent and absurd. Again read the links in the above comment by me for details.
INS came through Reno back in the early to mid 80s. They “arrested” over 1200 people. Of those 1200 they began deportation proceedings against five of them … four of those fought the charges. The rest were simply dumped on Social Services with now completely free rides on the taxpayer’s dime.
Secure the border, deport the illegal invaders, prosecute businesses that do not verify the validity of documentation … the biggest problem here is going to be getting the government agencies to actually cooperate and provide factual information. For the government not to immediately notify me that someone began working with my name in Florida while I maintained the same job and
government taxesillegal redistribution of my money from Nevada is inexcusable. Waiting for the IRS to tell me there is a problem is only further proof that the system is broken. If it is that hard for the owners, it is going to be even more difficult for business owners.That being said, there are new government programs that allow employers to verify this information. I helped to install it at one of the Airport services company I worked for at the time. This is no longer a viable excuse.
Shore up the borders, build a damn fence and lock up the illegal invaders as well as the people who are hiring them and providing them with the jobs. Use the same system of verification to keep them off the public dole (As is already done with LEGAL immigrants) and they will quickly disappear. They will go away once we quit rewarding them for breaking our laws and spitting in our faces … proverbially speaking … at least sometimes.
“The Guatemalans must have travel documents and be accepted for entry into Guatemala in order to be flown there, thus the hotel stay”
Fine, then take them by boat and drop them a mile off the Guatemalan coastline, and let the Guatemalan authorities sort it out.. or send them the bill for the hotel stay.
GA,
Sorry to hear that. Makes me think that the ruling families are probably in tight with the county people and possibly the state. Only thing to hope for is to get ICE or another agency to come in and clean up. I know, good luck with that.
This from the Fredericksburg, Virginia Free Lance Star yesterday.
I’m inclined to think that this is “Kabuki theater” also….
This situation will NOT change until sanctions against employers who take advantage of these people are enforced in a consistent and forceful mannner.
This is deeper than the press lead on.
I got an email from projectusa and they said that Agriprocessors routinely “said” they would have a certain immigrant come work there, so that immigrant could get a permit, only to find out there was no intention of that whatsoever. One Chinese immigrant paid some immigration lawyer $30,000 to come here and “say” he is going to work at Agriprocessors. The thing is, they are not here to work, they just used that to get in and this particular immigration lawyer gets fees for this fraud.
Also mentioned how Agriprocessors is in a poorish area with many Americans willing to work there but they refuse to hire them because the illegals will work for 5 bucks and hour, under minimum. I noticed how Agriprocessors had a huge American flag out front…how patriotic, to not even hire the community around you. The whole things makes me sick and we MUST speak out against this and speak out FOR AMERICAN workers FIRST! These corporations want all the privileges of doing business here but without paying a wage that reflects the social services and infrastructure involved. They are such cheats and greedy jerks. In fact, it might be best to not support this industry at all…they are rife with this.
Something else I wanted to add: Agribusiness, ie. slaughterhouse workers suffer so much. It is dangerous, dirty, bloody, cruel work. Often one has to work with blades and heavy machinary that can cut off fingers and limbs (used to cut off body parts of animals so why wouldn’t it occasionally cut human workers?). Now I don’t agree with the ethical ramifications of this business, however, putting that aside, truthfully, since this work is so backbreaking, so risky, so harsh…really workers should be paid 20 bucks and up. But because we have allowed illegal immigration they can undercut deserving American families AND not pay a fair wage for the horrible work that it is.
In a way, it’s our fault. We’ve been to apathetic, turning the cheek for far too long and now we have a real problem on our hands because of entrenched interests who are used to their slave labor.
This story made FRONT page in the Globe & Mail – a Canadian newspaper. I read it enroute to Atlanta from Toronto. As a LEGAL immigrant who went thru the process that is now in place to obtain my green card…this issue is very personal for me. I will be discussing this story, and sharing my thoughts and opinions on this issue of illegal immigration, immigration reform, and shamnesty, on Pat Dollards Jihadikiller Blog talk radio show either tonite(SUNDAY) or NEXT Sunday. Since I am in Atlanta celebrating Memorial Day with my friends – its hard to be sure if I will be able to call in tonite.
You will be able to listen to the show after it airs all week. If I m not on tonite… I will be NEXT Sunday.
As I was walking thru the airport terminal in Atlanta, I met many soldiers returning from or deploying to Iraq. I thanked them all for their service, and when they found out I am Canadian by birth, they were even more touched and mentioned their appreciation and respect for Canadian troops fighting in AFG.
I also witnessed an amazing homecoming by the USO at the airport…the troops were back for R and R…and I was moved to tears to see how they were welcomed back.
To all our AMERICAN AND CANADIAN soldiers – Happy Memorial Day.
I remain forever grateful for your service.
McCain says these ID thieves are “God’s children”.
Last I checked stealing was not OK in the ten commandments.
but I guess McPain feels we Americans are just gringo suckers. what better proof than him getting the R nomination after he tried to stab the entire country in the back with his shamnesty disgrace.
I’d like to see this go all the way up the food chain and see top traffickers like George Bush, Juan McCain, and Baksheesh Obama put in the pokey. A few years in the pokey might turn the Coyote-in-Chief from cronyism and corruption into a good Christian.
I hate to see little people get scapegoated, like they did for Abu Ghraib, while the big fish just laugh at the law. This isn’t American and it isn’t democratic.