Seems AZ has a clue about illegals
'Don't ask, don't tell' immigration era ending
An ASU student may face deportation after traffic stop
Dianna M. N??ez
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 24, 2007 12:00 AM
A Valley college student's impending deportation
hearing has become a symbol of the end of a "don't
ask, don't tell" immigration policy.
Manuel Espinoza-Vazquez, 20, was thrust into an
ongoing immigration-enforcement debate after Gilbert
police stopped the Arizona State University student on
March 9 for an improper right turn.
Police determined that he had a blood-alcohol content
of 0.02 percent, well below the 0.08 percent legal
limit for drunken driving. They cited him for underage
drinking and called federal immigration officials when
the student presented a Mexican ID.
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Matt Wheeler, Espinoza-Vazquez's former math teacher
at Gilbert's Mesquite High School, said it pains him
to see one of his best students facing deportation.
"He's lived here since he was a toddler," he said. "He
graduated . . . with 20 college credits . . . (and) a
certificate for never missing a day of school. I don't
understand why these kids are having to pay for a
crime they didn't commit."
For some, the potential deportation of a foreign
national without legal immigration status is evidence
that increased immigration-enforcement efforts are
working. Others, like Wheeler, think Espinoza-Vazquez
has become a human casualty of a broken immigration
system.
Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman said he is relieved to see
Immigration and Customs Enforcement become more
responsive to local police departments' problems with
"illegal aliens."
"If people break the laws and if they're here
illegally, I would like to have them deported right
away," he said. "Get rid of them and stop them from
putting any unnecessary costs on citizens."
Last month, federal immigration officials told The
Arizona Republic they instituted a policy in September
to respond to every call from local police departments
asking them to pick up undocumented immigrants
involved in criminal activity. The policy was
established after local police complained about ICE's
poor response.
Since launching the effort, ICE has maintained a 100
percent response rate," said Alonzo Pena, special
agent in charge of ICE for Arizona.
Pena lauds recent immigration enforcement partnerships
with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Phoenix
Police Department.
The Maricopa County/ICE partnership will make the
sheriff's office one of fewer than 10 law enforcement
agencies nationwide to have entered into similar
agreements. A less formal partnership between ICE and
Phoenix is a first for the city. Previously, Phoenix
police were concerned that their involvement in
immigration enforcement would threaten undocumented
immigrants' willingness to report crimes.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he recently
graduated the first of 35 deputies and detention
officers from the ICE program. They have arrested 176
suspected undocumented immigrants in four weeks.
Alessandra Soler Meetze, Arizona American Civil
Liberty Union's executive director, said traffic stops
that lead to questions about citizenship could also
lead to racial profiling.
"Just because someone shows a Mexican ID does not mean
they aren't legal residents. Singling out this class
of people is wrong and leads to costly lawsuits," she
said.
Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said police are trained
to avoid racial profiling.
"Police have been enforcing immigration for decades,"
he said. "The federal government may have authority
over immigration policy, but states have the right to
enforce federal policy."
Jose Garcia, a retired Mesa police officer and
Chandler civil rights advocate, said his involvement
as a plaintiff in a 1997 lawsuit against Chandler for
immigration sweeps based on race has heightened his
concerns about local police involvement in immigration
enforcement.
"In the (Chandler) roundups, they went into people's
houses and only asked dark-skinned people about their
status," he said.
The Chandler case was settled, and the city released a
report that stated police were poorly trained and
supervised for the immigration enforcement sweeps but
never intended to violate the civil rights of Hispanic
residents and legal immigrants.
On March 10, the day after Espinoza-Vazquez's arrest,
ICE officials deported three teens who were stopped by
Gilbert police for excessive speed.
The teens' mothers said they were never told their
children had a right to an attorney or a right to
remain silent when police asked them about residency.
Within days of the teens' deportation, Gilbert Police
Chief Tim Dorn issued a department memo to all
personnel regarding immigration enforcement.
According to the March 15 memo, Gilbert police may
contact ICE in cases of criminal activity, gang
activity, human smuggling and identity
theft/fraudulent identification "if the officer has
reason to believe the person may be in violation of
federal immigration laws." Gilbert police are
prohibited from calling ICE in cases involving
non-hazardous or civil traffic offenses, according to
Dorn's memo.
Andrew Duncan, a Gilbert police spokesman, said
officers are not allowed to make random contacts with
people for the sole purpose of determining immigration
status and cannot use race or ethnicity alone as a
basis for questioning residency status.
Though the memo also restricts Gilbert police from
transporting individuals to ICE, a Gilbert police
report indicates an officer and his trainee
transported Espinoza-Vazquez to Phoenix and released
him to ICE officials.
Espinoza-Vazquez is awaiting notice of his deportation
hearing. He said his family hopes to find an
immigration attorney to represent him at the hearing.
"I'm scared . . . and my little sister cries,"
Espinoza-Vazquez said. "But I'm focused on school.
While I was in detention, I missed class for the first
time. I just want to graduate."
http://tinyurl.com/2mkzsz
An ASU student may face deportation after traffic stop
Dianna M. N??ez
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 24, 2007 12:00 AM
A Valley college student's impending deportation
hearing has become a symbol of the end of a "don't
ask, don't tell" immigration policy.
Manuel Espinoza-Vazquez, 20, was thrust into an
ongoing immigration-enforcement debate after Gilbert
police stopped the Arizona State University student on
March 9 for an improper right turn.
Police determined that he had a blood-alcohol content
of 0.02 percent, well below the 0.08 percent legal
limit for drunken driving. They cited him for underage
drinking and called federal immigration officials when
the student presented a Mexican ID.
advertisement
Matt Wheeler, Espinoza-Vazquez's former math teacher
at Gilbert's Mesquite High School, said it pains him
to see one of his best students facing deportation.
"He's lived here since he was a toddler," he said. "He
graduated . . . with 20 college credits . . . (and) a
certificate for never missing a day of school. I don't
understand why these kids are having to pay for a
crime they didn't commit."
For some, the potential deportation of a foreign
national without legal immigration status is evidence
that increased immigration-enforcement efforts are
working. Others, like Wheeler, think Espinoza-Vazquez
has become a human casualty of a broken immigration
system.
Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman said he is relieved to see
Immigration and Customs Enforcement become more
responsive to local police departments' problems with
"illegal aliens."
"If people break the laws and if they're here
illegally, I would like to have them deported right
away," he said. "Get rid of them and stop them from
putting any unnecessary costs on citizens."
Last month, federal immigration officials told The
Arizona Republic they instituted a policy in September
to respond to every call from local police departments
asking them to pick up undocumented immigrants
involved in criminal activity. The policy was
established after local police complained about ICE's
poor response.
Since launching the effort, ICE has maintained a 100
percent response rate," said Alonzo Pena, special
agent in charge of ICE for Arizona.
Pena lauds recent immigration enforcement partnerships
with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Phoenix
Police Department.
The Maricopa County/ICE partnership will make the
sheriff's office one of fewer than 10 law enforcement
agencies nationwide to have entered into similar
agreements. A less formal partnership between ICE and
Phoenix is a first for the city. Previously, Phoenix
police were concerned that their involvement in
immigration enforcement would threaten undocumented
immigrants' willingness to report crimes.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he recently
graduated the first of 35 deputies and detention
officers from the ICE program. They have arrested 176
suspected undocumented immigrants in four weeks.
Alessandra Soler Meetze, Arizona American Civil
Liberty Union's executive director, said traffic stops
that lead to questions about citizenship could also
lead to racial profiling.
"Just because someone shows a Mexican ID does not mean
they aren't legal residents. Singling out this class
of people is wrong and leads to costly lawsuits," she
said.
Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said police are trained
to avoid racial profiling.
"Police have been enforcing immigration for decades,"
he said. "The federal government may have authority
over immigration policy, but states have the right to
enforce federal policy."
Jose Garcia, a retired Mesa police officer and
Chandler civil rights advocate, said his involvement
as a plaintiff in a 1997 lawsuit against Chandler for
immigration sweeps based on race has heightened his
concerns about local police involvement in immigration
enforcement.
"In the (Chandler) roundups, they went into people's
houses and only asked dark-skinned people about their
status," he said.
The Chandler case was settled, and the city released a
report that stated police were poorly trained and
supervised for the immigration enforcement sweeps but
never intended to violate the civil rights of Hispanic
residents and legal immigrants.
On March 10, the day after Espinoza-Vazquez's arrest,
ICE officials deported three teens who were stopped by
Gilbert police for excessive speed.
The teens' mothers said they were never told their
children had a right to an attorney or a right to
remain silent when police asked them about residency.
Within days of the teens' deportation, Gilbert Police
Chief Tim Dorn issued a department memo to all
personnel regarding immigration enforcement.
According to the March 15 memo, Gilbert police may
contact ICE in cases of criminal activity, gang
activity, human smuggling and identity
theft/fraudulent identification "if the officer has
reason to believe the person may be in violation of
federal immigration laws." Gilbert police are
prohibited from calling ICE in cases involving
non-hazardous or civil traffic offenses, according to
Dorn's memo.
Andrew Duncan, a Gilbert police spokesman, said
officers are not allowed to make random contacts with
people for the sole purpose of determining immigration
status and cannot use race or ethnicity alone as a
basis for questioning residency status.
Though the memo also restricts Gilbert police from
transporting individuals to ICE, a Gilbert police
report indicates an officer and his trainee
transported Espinoza-Vazquez to Phoenix and released
him to ICE officials.
Espinoza-Vazquez is awaiting notice of his deportation
hearing. He said his family hopes to find an
immigration attorney to represent him at the hearing.
"I'm scared . . . and my little sister cries,"
Espinoza-Vazquez said. "But I'm focused on school.
While I was in detention, I missed class for the first
time. I just want to graduate."
http://tinyurl.com/2mkzsz
0
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This is one who should not be deported. He was brought here as a baby and for all intents and purposes he is an American. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by bondai
This is one who should not be deported. He was brought here as a baby and for all intents and purposes he is an American.
Except he's not.
Part of the argument here is that people flee from places like Mexico and come to the United States because there is no hope for them in their home countries, whereas there is hope here. We hear time and time again that the problem is a lack of education, etc.
Here's a Mexican national who is bright and educated. Imagine the good he can do in his home country! Ship him over the border. If he still wants to live her, let him apply for a green card like everyone else has to. If he's got great skills he'll be put at the head of the line.
I realize that he didn't intentionally break laws if he came here as a baby. But, he's now an adult and he's had his whole life to straighten out the situation. So, "for all intents and purposes" he's willingly broken the law if he knew that his immigration status was not legal.0 -
I agree,.........come back legal! Although he will probably "squirm" out of it with the help of the ACLU. 0 -
I sympathize with this kid. I really do.
With that said, we need to start making examples out of people, educated, uneducated, it doesn't matter. His parents brought him over at a young age. he couldn't help that. Neither can we. According to the letter of the law, he is not a legal resident and we should treat him just as we should treat the uneducated mojados congregating at Home Depot looking for day labor jobs: depot them.
Once we get the entire situation under control, then maybe we can start making exceptions for deserving individuals.0 -
quote:Originally posted by bondai
This is one who should not be deported. He was brought here as a baby and for all intents and purposes he is an American.
There are lots of people that were brought across the border illegally as babies or young children, but that was their parents fault. If you start cherry picking which ones to allow to stay, you might as well let them all stay and just forget about the border. Either enforce the law evenly or don't enforce it at all.0 -
Its great that that child managed to obtain a free education in this country. But he is still illegial and needs to be deported along with his parents and other relatives.
Profiling of dark skinned people. Hey thats only simple "common sense". Most mexicans are dark skinned people and should expect to show proof of residency.
I would be happy to show my drivers license every day if it would rid our country of illegials. Get them out of here they are costing us a fortune in welfare and medical expenses. Plus they block the people trying to get into this country legally.
If you have laws then enforce them! Same for criminals!0 -
Back to Mexico, Jose.
They need educated people, too.
I love the ACLU, "Just because he shows a Mexican ID at a traffic stop doesn't mean he is here illegally."
Right.0 -
quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
Back to Mexico, Jose.
They need educated people, too.
I love the ACLU, "Just because he shows a Mexican ID at a traffic stop doesn't mean he is here illegally."
Right.
Actually, it doesn't prove he's here illegally. But, when he can't product a green card or a passport to demonstrate he is a Mexican national in the country legally after handing over a Mexican d/l as a means of identification, it certainly does.0 -
Alive or dead.
Pregnant
Honest
Tall
Bald
Blind
or
an American: You either is or you ain't.
... don't see what's so hard about that,
do you?[8D]0 -
Load the whole family if they are illegal, free bus ride home. It doesn't get any better than that, break the law and pay. 0 -
quote:"Just because someone shows a Mexican ID does not mean
they aren't legal residents. Singling out this class
of people is wrong and leads to costly lawsuits,"
Sounds like a threat.
quote:if they are illegal, free bus ride home. Charge them for the ride.0 -
Did he ever attempt to become an American citizen during the many years he was here illegally?
SEND THE SOB BACK!!!!!!!!0 -
Ruger,
If you are here illegally, you CAN'T "attempt to become legal" as you say. Just so you know.
Merc0 -
Moral relativism is a tough code to crack.You think your doing the right thing and it comes back to bite you in the a$$.So how bout' we just adhere to the law and not let our feelings and emotions muddy the water.That is of course assuming we want a nation of laws VS. a nation of feelings. 0 -
Send him back, and bill the Mexican government $100,000 to reimburse the taxpayers for his "free" education. 0 -
He had time to get a Mexican ID? 0
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