Many of the people arrested by ICE at the meat packing raids?

Question

were legal immigrants and US citizens. Why did immigration officers arrest them and throw them in jail? Because they looked Hispanic. Supposedly this was an operation to arrest people who stole identities. They arrested 1200 people and only charged about 100 with identity theft crimes. So that means that more than 90% of the people arrested were probably not stealing anyone's identity. Is this effective law enforcement? Anti's, what say you?

I'm listening to interviews of the Swift human resources manager on NPR radio that says this is what happened. I also happen to know that ICE cannot verify whether or not a person is in the US illegally until after they arrest them. I am an immigration lawyer and an ICE supervisor told me this is done. They arrest first and ask questions later.

I don't condone illegal immigration or identity theft. But I also do not condone arresting US citizens and legal immigrants (or anyone for that matter) based on their race or nationality and denying those people their constitutional rights. They were presumed guilty, got no Miranda warnings, no access to a lawyer and all this because they looked Hispanic. If that is OK with you, then I would ask, are YOU willing to be arrested and thrown in jail without talking to a lawyer for months, so that ICE can get its pound of illegals???

Answer 1

maybe that's their new tactic, just arrest everyone, you're bound to get a few criminals

.same as the wiretapping I guess

Answer 2

I agree with mimi and most of the other answerers here who disagree with you! I also do not believe that you are a bonafide immigration lawyer or any other kind of lawyer and if somehow you are, I also don't think you are very good at what you do. If anything, I think maybe you work for the ACLU. No, I don't care if a few innocents got caught up in this sting because it is a small price for them to pay in order to get the illegals. Anyone who is here legally will be able to very quickly provide proof of their citizenship and legal residency. They won't have been held up too long before they provided that proof. Personally, I would welcome this bit of inconvenience to myself if it meant the greater good of arresting the illegals and deporting them and helping me get my country back for legal citizens. I also don't agree with your numbers and think you would have more credibility if you provided some sort of proof to back it up. Regardless, I hope these exact same raids occur more and more frequently all over the country until employers and illegals get the message of the citizens of the USA! "Get out!" is the message. Come back legally, if you want to pursue the American dream. When you come here illegally, you are not pursuing the American dream, you are STEALING it!

Answer 3

Arresting anyone who is doing an illegal act is always good. With the illegals, it is especially a wonderful thing to hear about. I am glad the United States of America is finally doing something about the criminal illegals in this country that are breaking our laws big time. These kinds of raids should be going on on a daily basis. We need to rid this Country of as many illegal alien law breakers as possible.

Answer 4

If your an immigration you would of known For nearly two weeks, Swift & Co. officials fought to block an impending immigration raid they knew was coming. According to newly unsealed federal-court records filed in Amarillo, Texas, on Dec. 4, the company sought an injunction to stop U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from raiding six of its plants across the nation. On Dec. 7, the company's request was denied. And on Tuesday, the raid went forward. While waging the sealed court fight, Swift scrutinized its workers' employment documents. Nearly 400 workers nationally "simply disappeared" because of that review, said Don Wiseman, the company's general counsel. They knowingly hire illegal aliens and knowingly aid and abet them and knowingly obstruct justice by warning illegals ahead of time that raids are coming.How do you explain that?

Answer 5

They pre-warned Swift, they let women with children go...if you think innocent people aren't arrested daily....wake-up. It's not geared only to hispanics. What about the innocent people carted off to jail for a crime they didn't commit due to identity theft? What about people who are on the verge of loosing their homes because they say they owe back taxes from a job, in a state they've never been too? What about the mom going to get WIC to find out she can't get it because IRS shows her infant is working in another state? I could go on and on but it's not as impressive as a big bust so it doesn't get the media attention. I don't feel sorry one little bit. They marched in our streets, screamed in our faces to be noticed and demanded the attention.....and then whine at every turn when they are caught. Paint a target on yourself don't get ticked when someone takes a shot. Can't have it both ways. I'm ticked they pre-warned them and ticked they didn't get the whole darn family on 1 move. They brought them in for questioning and the innocent citizens are free......if you think this is so unfair......take a trip south and see what they do to illegals there.

Answer 6

Swift is just trying to get their a s s out of the sling for hiring illegals! If they were in our country illegally they do not have to steal anyone's identity to be a criminal! Being in our country is a crime.....I am an anti-illegal I think it's about time our government started doing it's job! It will only be effective law-enforcement if/when they send all of them back where they came from!

Constitutional rights, miranda warning, access to a lawyer???
These are protections offered to Americans and legal immigrants not illegals!
ATTRITION THRU STRICT LOCAL, STATE & FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT!!

Answer 7

Well I can ask you a question? What if it was your identity that had been stolen? Would you still feel the same about this? ICE has to start somewhere,if people there are inocent then whats the big worry,but to many were not inocent,and I dont have a bleeding heart for them or there families,if an American got cought with stolen identity,do you think anyone would feel sorry for them,HELL NO!

Answer 8

Where is your link to prove your question.
They arrested 1282 I would like to see a news link that says only 100 were detained.Please provide your link.

About Identity theft
‘People need to wake up to this problem. They are destroying people’s credit, Social Security benefits, and everything else.’
Richard Hamp
assistant attorney general for state of Utah

Immigrant imposters with the least nefarious of intentions -- simply a desire to work -- often unknowingly victimize the rightful Social Security number holders. The problem is compounded by how often ripped-off numbers are used. James Lee, chief marketing officer for private data collection firm ChoicePoint, said the average victim of immigrant-based identity theft sees their Social Security number shared about 30 times.

"The numbers get passed around a family, and around neighborhoods," he said.

"People need to wake up to this problem," said Richard Hamp, an assistant attorney general for the state of Utah who has prosecuted several cases involving stolen IDs and illegal immigrants. "They are destroying people's credit, Social Security benefits, and everything else. This problem has been ignored by the federal government, and it's enormous."

Answer 9

Well just being here illegally was enough for ICE to arrest them we are just wondering what took them so long. I like how they did it so close to Christmas too. No reason, i just like it.


If you're a American then you should have no problems proving that.

Answer 10

things will have to get worse before they get better. We cannot just abandon the attempt to enforce immigration law just because we make a few mistakes. I would personally be willing to spend many nights in jail on these types of mix ups myself, to support this type of long over due enforcement.

yours is the same type of liberal nonessential argument the pro-illegals have been using for years: "It's too hard to enforce, just forget it."

Answer 11

I'm wondering if this is a dog & pony show to get the pissed off several generational Americans like me to back off our writing congress & senate leaders to go after the employers! Well i say keep writing them & here is a Ph# 1-866-347-2423 to report to ICE more of these companies. Please have company name, address & phone#s ready for agent!