What is wrong with Immigrant rights groups 24-hour prayer vigil to protest the arrests of 58 Mexican nationals

Question

August 31, 2007 - Immigrant rights groups are holding a 24-hour prayer vigil to protest the arrests of 58 Mexican nationals.
A crowd gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office Thursday night in Waukegan. Some at the vigil are questioning why people who have already been through the legal system were targeted.

ICE agents arrested 58 Mexican nationals with alleged ties to violent street gangs in the northern and northwest suburbs this week in the largest local dragnet targeting foreign-born street gang members.

According to a release from ICE, these are the latest arrests under an ongoing national initiative called "Operation Community Shield," in which ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to address the threat of transnational street gangs.

The multi-agency operation targeted foreign national gang members and gang associates in the northern and northwest suburbs, including Waukegan, Mundelein and Round Lake, the release said. All of those arrested this week are Mexican men targeted for their affiliations with violent street gangs such as the Latin Kings, Sureño-13s and Latin Lovers, among others.

Of the 58 arrested, 37 are illegal aliens and 21 are U.S. permanent residents whose previous criminal convictions render them eligible for deportation. ICE agents in Chicago have made more than 275 arrests since the Operation Community Shield was established in February 2005.

The U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force, Lake County Sheriff's Department, and the Waukegan and Mundelein Police Departments assisted ICE in the enforcement effort, which began Sunday night and concluded Wednesday.

Among those arrested was Edgar Rodriguez-Tovar, a 23-year-old Sureño-13 member, apprehended Aug. 26 in Round Lake, the release said. He is an illegal alien from Mexico with prior convictions for aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated battery, the release said. He remains in ICE custody pending deportation to Mexico.

Also arrested was Mario Vargas-Hernandez at his Waukegan residence, the release said. The 34-year-old is a member of the Latin Kings with gang tattoos confirming his membership. He is illegal alien with a burglary conviction and numerous arrests for unlawfully using a weapon, possessing a firearm, battery and aggravated assault, the release said. He remains in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.

Some of the crimes associated with the gang members arrested during this local operation include aggravated battery, possessing a controlled substance, armed violence, possessing a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, drunken driving, mob action and burglary.

Six of those arrested had active warrants for their arrest and will be turned over to local authorities to face criminal charges before being transferred back to ICE for deportation. Three are being presented to the U.S. Attorney's Office for federal prosecution for re-entering the United States after having been deported, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5622570

Answer 1

58 being Deported That is great news the more the merrier

Answer 2

Perhaps this is the problem with it.........

ties to violent street gangs

37 are illegal aliens and 21 are U.S. permanent residents whose previous criminal convictions render them eligible for deportation.

Some of the crimes associated with the gang members arrested during this local operation include aggravated battery, possessing a controlled substance, armed violence, possessing a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, drunken driving, mob action and burglary.

Answer 3

This is America, and people have the right to peaceably assemble and make thier political views known. As long as the 'prayer vigil' is peaceful and compliant with local regulations (not blocking traffic or anything), there's nothing innately wrong with it. Of course, there's nothing more innately 'right' about it than if there were Raeleans out there protesting for the equal treatment of extraterestrials, or Klansmen out there making it known to the people and the government that they would prefer to see the 58 persons in question executed rather than merely deported.

Free speach is a right - but it can be exercised in support of positions that are good, evil, or just plain stupid.

In the case of protesting (or aplauding) the arrests of persons not yet convicted of crimes, though, I think people let thier political opinions override thier common sense - or, at least, thier respect for the constitution. Innocent until proven guilty, remember?

Answer 4

they already broke the law coming here illegally,and then to top it off they come and commit crimes against citizens of this country,what do they expect? give them all a medal for bad behavior,they would be prosecuted in their own country for their crimes,expect more like this until this stubborn president and congress do something to stop the flow of illegals coming in every day
Carol,you must be behind the times or been in a coma,the latin kings was a puerto rican gang when they started,but now it's mostly mexican american that are recruiting illegals to kill,steal,enforce or eliminate other gangs so they will be the only drug dealers doing business

Answer 5

If they have ties to violent street gangs they should be arrested and deported to their national country of birth origin whether they are illegal immigrants or naturalized citizens.

Answer 6

What's wrong is that Mexico will have to institute civil rights for its underclass as more of them are deported and want the same rights they enjoyed in the US..

Answer 7

It`s NOT going to get any better until the U.S smartens up and starts executing illegals , or at the very least , tossing them in prison for life !

If anyone thinks that`s a bit harsh , then wait for 10 years and see what`s left of the U.S for your children ........... it won`t be pretty !

Answer 8

I like the USA system, you are Innocent until proved guilty. Here in Mexico its the other way around, you must prove your innocents to a crime, whenever they decide to call your name for court.

Answer 9

Round them up. They are probably illegal too.

Better yet shoot them since most of them are gang members and illegal. We can dump their bodies in Mexico to show them we are done playing games.

B.Kevorkian - Most of them don't have rights. They are not citizens.

Answer 10

Yeah, I posted this one too.

First Elvira Arellano, convicted felon and deportation warrant dodger, then this.

They sure know how to pick their poster children, don't they?