PinoyInFL
Member
Found this story in Naples News.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/sep/26/operationnabs_163_criminal_aliens_immigration_vio/?local_news
Sad that Bush, the person who's sworn to uphold the country's laws, still insist on his fairy tale notion that the illegals just come here to find work and live peacefully. Everyone knows that not all illegals commit murder, rape, burglary, etc. However, being an illegal immigrant is a crime in itself. I've always wondered which part of "illegal" they can't understand. By keeping our borders open, we allow these criminals to enter as well as those who are "economic refugees". I just wish that more people realize the need to close down the border first, and second, actively enforce immigration laws.
Full text follows:
naplesnews.com
163 arrested in immigration bust
Operation nets largest number of arrests made by ICE in history of SW Fla.
By Ryan Mills
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
A 31-year-old Albanian wanted for murder and a Bolivian national convicted of child molestation were among 163 criminal aliens, fugitives and immigration violators arrested in a joint operation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Collier County and Lee County sheriff's offices.
The weeklong operation, dubbed "Operation Return to Sender," spanned from Naples to Fort Myers and netted the largest number of arrests made by ICE in the history of Southwest Florida. The operation concluded Friday, but authorities said in a press conference Monday that they will continue to pursue people in Southwest Florida who are in the country illegally.
"It is through law enforcement partnerships that ICE is putting integrity back into the system," said ICE agent Robert Weber. "Our law-abiding citizens should not have to live in fear that they will fall victim to these criminals."
The people arrested came from 12 countries — Mexico, Bolivia, Albania, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Armenia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and El Salvador. More than half were arrested in Collier County, authorities said. Authorities said the arrests were made after they gathered intelligence on the suspects' whereabouts, but would not disclose the specifics of how the operation was carried out.
Officials from ICE said 26 of the people arrested have a history of violent criminal activity. Among them were Robert Ziu, an Albanian national wanted in Italy for murder; Fernando Joffre, a Bolivian national who overstayed his visa and was convicted of child molestation; and Walter Mauricio Henriquez, a Honduran national who has been convicted of aggravated battery, domestic violence, grand theft and resisting arrest.
ICE officials would not provide a complete list of the people arrested.
Not all of the people arrested had violent criminal backgrounds, however. Officials said that 84 of those arrested were fugitives who failed to leave the country at the order of an immigration judge. The other 53 were known immigration violators.
"We will not be doing wide area sweeps," Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter said. "If you're involved in a criminal gang, if you're involved in MS-13, the Latin Kings ... if you're one of those gang members and you're here illegally ... you should be concerned. We will be hunting you down."
Hunter estimated that there are about 800,000 illegal immigrants in Florida, of which, he estimated, about 80 percent live south of Orlando.
"Nobody knows because they don't check in," Hunter said.
A large percentage of the crime in Southwest Florida is committed by illegal immigrants, Hunter said. Of 1,805 outstanding felony warrants in Collier County, 770 are for illegal immigrants. Of the 17 outstanding warrants for homicide, 15 are for foreign nationals, and 10 of those are believed to have been illegal at the time of the homicide, the Collier County Sheriff's Office reported.
Last week's operation was a good start toward addressing the problem of illegal immigration in the area, authorities said.
"If you're looking at 30 to 40 percent of your crime population is here illegally and you remove them, it has to have a significant effect," Hunter said.
Hunter said that if they arrested all 770 illegal immigrants with outstanding warrants they would take up more than half of the Collier County jail's beds. As it is, foreign nationals already make up 22 to 26 percent of the jail's population, Hunter said.
Greg Schell, an attorney for the Migrant Farm Worker Justice Project based in Lake Worth, is not convinced that there has been an increase in the number of arrests of illegal immigrants in Florida, but said there has been increased publicity of arrests in the last few months. He said the arrests have "totally freaked out the immigrant community."
"People have a sense that there is an immigration officer on every corner. I think it drives people further underground," Schell said. "It will probably mean immigrants are less likely to approach law enforcement if they're victims of crime. There is less chance they'll address health problems. ... It's going to make it harder and harder to get people to speak up about abuse."
Jacques Sinjuste, the director of the Collier County-based Jerusalem Haitian Community Center, supports the arrest and deportation of criminals, but is against the deportation of non-criminals. He said it is not right to lump together immigrants who have committed serious crimes like murder with those who have simply come to the United States for a better life.
Last week a representative from the Collier County Sheriff's Office spoke to immigrants at Sinjuste's center telling them that the Sheriff's Office is not interested in the massive detention of illegal immigrants.
"Those that are already in the United States, if they are not a criminal, I don't see any sense to send them away," Sinjuste said. "The United States is the land of opportunity. They're looking for an opportunity."
All 163 immigrants are being held at detention centers around the state. The fugitive immigrants, who have already had court appearances, will be deported as soon as travel arrangements are made, ICE spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez said. The others will present their cases to an immigration judge, she said.
Weber said last week's operation should send a message to people living in the country illegally.
"They should be fully aware of the consequences of their status," Weber said. "If they are here in illegal status, they will be pursued."
© 2006 Naples Daily News and NDN Productions. Published in Naples, Florida, USA by the E.W. Scripps Co.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/sep/26/operationnabs_163_criminal_aliens_immigration_vio/?local_news
Sad that Bush, the person who's sworn to uphold the country's laws, still insist on his fairy tale notion that the illegals just come here to find work and live peacefully. Everyone knows that not all illegals commit murder, rape, burglary, etc. However, being an illegal immigrant is a crime in itself. I've always wondered which part of "illegal" they can't understand. By keeping our borders open, we allow these criminals to enter as well as those who are "economic refugees". I just wish that more people realize the need to close down the border first, and second, actively enforce immigration laws.
Full text follows:
naplesnews.com
163 arrested in immigration bust
Operation nets largest number of arrests made by ICE in history of SW Fla.
By Ryan Mills
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
A 31-year-old Albanian wanted for murder and a Bolivian national convicted of child molestation were among 163 criminal aliens, fugitives and immigration violators arrested in a joint operation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Collier County and Lee County sheriff's offices.
The weeklong operation, dubbed "Operation Return to Sender," spanned from Naples to Fort Myers and netted the largest number of arrests made by ICE in the history of Southwest Florida. The operation concluded Friday, but authorities said in a press conference Monday that they will continue to pursue people in Southwest Florida who are in the country illegally.
"It is through law enforcement partnerships that ICE is putting integrity back into the system," said ICE agent Robert Weber. "Our law-abiding citizens should not have to live in fear that they will fall victim to these criminals."
The people arrested came from 12 countries — Mexico, Bolivia, Albania, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Armenia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and El Salvador. More than half were arrested in Collier County, authorities said. Authorities said the arrests were made after they gathered intelligence on the suspects' whereabouts, but would not disclose the specifics of how the operation was carried out.
Officials from ICE said 26 of the people arrested have a history of violent criminal activity. Among them were Robert Ziu, an Albanian national wanted in Italy for murder; Fernando Joffre, a Bolivian national who overstayed his visa and was convicted of child molestation; and Walter Mauricio Henriquez, a Honduran national who has been convicted of aggravated battery, domestic violence, grand theft and resisting arrest.
ICE officials would not provide a complete list of the people arrested.
Not all of the people arrested had violent criminal backgrounds, however. Officials said that 84 of those arrested were fugitives who failed to leave the country at the order of an immigration judge. The other 53 were known immigration violators.
"We will not be doing wide area sweeps," Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter said. "If you're involved in a criminal gang, if you're involved in MS-13, the Latin Kings ... if you're one of those gang members and you're here illegally ... you should be concerned. We will be hunting you down."
Hunter estimated that there are about 800,000 illegal immigrants in Florida, of which, he estimated, about 80 percent live south of Orlando.
"Nobody knows because they don't check in," Hunter said.
A large percentage of the crime in Southwest Florida is committed by illegal immigrants, Hunter said. Of 1,805 outstanding felony warrants in Collier County, 770 are for illegal immigrants. Of the 17 outstanding warrants for homicide, 15 are for foreign nationals, and 10 of those are believed to have been illegal at the time of the homicide, the Collier County Sheriff's Office reported.
Last week's operation was a good start toward addressing the problem of illegal immigration in the area, authorities said.
"If you're looking at 30 to 40 percent of your crime population is here illegally and you remove them, it has to have a significant effect," Hunter said.
Hunter said that if they arrested all 770 illegal immigrants with outstanding warrants they would take up more than half of the Collier County jail's beds. As it is, foreign nationals already make up 22 to 26 percent of the jail's population, Hunter said.
Greg Schell, an attorney for the Migrant Farm Worker Justice Project based in Lake Worth, is not convinced that there has been an increase in the number of arrests of illegal immigrants in Florida, but said there has been increased publicity of arrests in the last few months. He said the arrests have "totally freaked out the immigrant community."
"People have a sense that there is an immigration officer on every corner. I think it drives people further underground," Schell said. "It will probably mean immigrants are less likely to approach law enforcement if they're victims of crime. There is less chance they'll address health problems. ... It's going to make it harder and harder to get people to speak up about abuse."
Jacques Sinjuste, the director of the Collier County-based Jerusalem Haitian Community Center, supports the arrest and deportation of criminals, but is against the deportation of non-criminals. He said it is not right to lump together immigrants who have committed serious crimes like murder with those who have simply come to the United States for a better life.
Last week a representative from the Collier County Sheriff's Office spoke to immigrants at Sinjuste's center telling them that the Sheriff's Office is not interested in the massive detention of illegal immigrants.
"Those that are already in the United States, if they are not a criminal, I don't see any sense to send them away," Sinjuste said. "The United States is the land of opportunity. They're looking for an opportunity."
All 163 immigrants are being held at detention centers around the state. The fugitive immigrants, who have already had court appearances, will be deported as soon as travel arrangements are made, ICE spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez said. The others will present their cases to an immigration judge, she said.
Weber said last week's operation should send a message to people living in the country illegally.
"They should be fully aware of the consequences of their status," Weber said. "If they are here in illegal status, they will be pursued."
© 2006 Naples Daily News and NDN Productions. Published in Naples, Florida, USA by the E.W. Scripps Co.
