Immigrant "sweep" nets over 2000 illegals
 

Officials arrest 2,000 in criminal immigrant sweep

HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. customs officials arrested more than 2,000 illegal immigrants, gang members and other fugitives in a nationwide sweep, the head of the U.S. Immigration and Customer Enforcement agency said on Wednesday.

The sweep, code named "Operation Return to Sender," has yielded arrests in 34 states since May 26 and comes as the U.S. Congress is debating several immigration measures, including proposals that would tighten border security and create a temporary worker program.

About half of the 2,179 people arrested in the operation had criminal records, and 367 were members or associates of violent street gangs, including the Mara Slavatrucha, or MS-13, Julie Myers, the assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for ICE told a press conference.

"America's welcome does not extend to immigrants who come here to commit crimes," Myers said.

Others arrested included 146 who had convictions for sexual offenses involving minors, and 640 were fugitive aliens who had been issued final orders of removal by an immigration judge and had not complied.

About 829 of those arrested on immigration violations have been deported to their home countries.

lol ... seriously?

Not commenting on the rest of the article, but just how this was written,
immigrants must be so happy to see themselves thrown in that lot, don't you think? Creates the idea all illegal immigrants are criminals.

Not to stir sh*t by any means, but how can you say that "illegal" immigrants are not "criminals" in the strictest (or loosest even) sense of the word? I mean, doesn't the fact that they're here "illegally" already mean they are "criminals"? I think I see what you mean as far as committing other crimes, but they're already criminals by being here illegally anyway, so...

Again, I'm really not trying to be an ass or anything by any means, but their existence here makes them criminals anyway.:shrug: Am I being unreasonable?

Brad

I almost spit my diet sunkist out at that one..

Why in the world do you drink diet, oh waif-ish one?:confused:

i like the taste of diet drinks better? :sorry:

I see your point, but yeah, I think of other activities when someone uses the word 'criminal' to describe a person.
I just find it sad how people can be categorized as illegal or criminal based on something artificial like borders, paperwork, burocracy.. I guess I'm an idealist.

Borders were decided upon long ago and they arent nebulous shifting things like clouds :shrug:

as for criminality, the article makes it very clear just how prevelant criminality is--just within the 2000 (!) that was rounded up:
I wonder if the rest are being brought up on charges here? And Brad, I agree with you, the key word here is ILLEGAL immigrants.

With all due respect Mari, I think this is one area where being an idealist is frankly naive.

Then you didn't read my first post. I know what's referred to in this article, but it reads like a generalisation to me.
As for borders, they're an artificial concept. There is no actual naturally formed line on the ground where there is a border, only an idea created by some humans (the ones in power) at some point in history. Sometimes rather randomly, as well.

I disagree with that last word. Could say something similar about you if I wanted to. :shrug:
And I still refuse to associate 'illegal immigrants' with 'criminal'. They're often just the unlucky sods born on the wrong side of that border-thing.

But this thing IS setting off a horrible trend of racial hate crime :distress:


From the Associated Press:

ROCKY POINT, N.Y. (AP) _ Two Mexican immigrants fishing off a
Long Island jetty were set upon by a group of four white youths who
beat them and stole their money while using racial and ethnic
slurs, police said.
The young men have been charged with robbery and assault as hate
crimes in connection with the Monday night attack, and were
arraigned Wednesday in a Suffolk County court.
Authorities identified the defendants as William Foley, 16;
Nicholas Provenzano, 19; Daniel Sturgis, 19, and Jesse Lee Ward,
18, all of Rocky Point.
Police said the two Mexican men, who were not identified, were
not seriously injured.
Attorney James D'Angelo, who represented Ward and Foley in
court, said all four youths had entered not guilty pleas.
``They are denying involvement in this,'' said D'Angelo.
Long Island has been the site of other anti-immigrant incidents.
In 2000, two Mexican men were beaten by two locals in Farmingville
who promised them work. On July 4, 2003, a Mexican family barely
escaped with their lives after teens set their Farmingville house
ablaze by shooting fireworks through a window.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
APNT-06-15-06 0919EDT<

um, does the Rio Grande count as a natural border? As for being artificial, as long as the two entities on either side agree what the border IS, does it really matter that it is a man made concept? We all abide by man made concepts :shrug: If you have a fence on your property, you wouldnt want your neighbor making him/herself at home in your yard without your permission would you? Im not talking about a simple thing like getting an errant pet or paper, Im talking about setting up a patio set and BBQ in your yard and inviting all his/her friends for a party in your yard!! you can see how these "artificial" borders are actually important I hope :shrug:

And I dont see how you can disagree with the concept of ILLEGAL= CRIMINAL. ILLEGAL = CRIMINAL in any other societal aspect, why not this one?? :shrug: your refusal to acknowledge that fact is puzzling......

Right, and then those unlucky sods who are working construction across the alley from my house decide to come over and break into my house stealing most of the valuable things I and my family own and then get away with the whole thing 'cause guess what? They're illegal; they're not on the books. And yes, this did happen to me when I was 10 years old and I was in the house when it happened! :eek: Luckily they were only interested in property and not violence.

And yes, I know this is only one incident and shouldn't be attributed to a general population of people, but it's also an example of how illegal immigration can cause more problems than people might initially think. And while these people have a sorry lot in life being from a poor, 3rd world country, that doesn't automatically give them the right to come over to this country by any means necessary does it? I do feel for them, but fair is fair--what about all those other immigrants who went through all kinds of flaming hoops to get here legally?

So let me see if I get this right... You say ILLEGAL = CRIMINAL. OK, so were all your ancestors criminals???? The Europeans that came over here way back when weren't all legal immigrants.
And how about the people that come here trying to make a better life for themselves but their lawyer is a piece of crap and f**** up the case?! They've committed all their life savings into coming here, paid the lawyer and all the other fees and have nothing left. They can't go home because they don't have any money and they have no home to go to. What are they supposed to do?

Im not sure what you are referring to?? are you talking about when this country was colonized or the influx of immigrants that came thru Ellis Island and various other ports? Either way, my ancestors came over LEGALLY, either as part of the original colonists (on my mom's side) or thru Ellis Island (on my Dad's side). I have my own personal feelings about the crimes that were committed against the Native Americans when Europeans came here, but that is a different topic. If you are by chance referring to the colonists who came over here to work off their criminal sentences from Europe, that was a form of indentured servitude and once they served their sentence, they were free/clear. In any event, that is not equivalent to immigrants coming here without proper documentation or permission and/or staying here past the expiration point (if any) which is in fact what the article is about and to which I most vigorously object.

As for your other "point," Im not sure why you equate the issue of immigrants being poorly represented in court with illegals coming and staying here. Thats like comparing apples and oranges. :shrug: