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Disturbing Reports That San Diego Sheriff is Using the Fire to Enforce Immigration Laws

Brian-Leubitz.jpg By Brian Leubitz
Founder and Publisher
Calitics

It would be odd, as that's you know, against the law. However, we have multiple reports of the San Diego sheriff handing over "suspected illegal aliens" to border patrol agents. So, as it currently stands, several neighborhoods have checkpoints to enter, purportedly to prevent looting. However, if undocumented immigrants enter, the Sheriff intends to hand them over to Border Patrol agents.

Not only is this unwise and a poor use of resources, but it is also likely illegal. Below, I've posted a press release from the ACLU with more details (hat tip to NarcoSphere). Concerned community leaders are urged to communicate with Sheriff Kolender and Undersheriff Bill Gore at (858) 974-2250 or bill.Gore@sdsheriff.org.

According to the San Diego ACLU:

• As evacuation orders are lifted on San Diego County communities, Sheriff Kolender plans to check i.d. of returning residents at checkpoints and continue his practice of detaining and handing over people suspected of being undocumented to U.S. Border Patrol.

• Sheriff Kolender, who typically says the Sheriff's Department does not have the resources to do the federal government's job of immigration enforcement, has refused to drop his policy of nonetheless helping Border Patrol when identifying potentially undocumented persons despite the tremendous demands on the Sheriff's Department and the highly unusual practice of setting up military-style checkpoints outside people's neighborhoods.

• Sheriff Kolender also dismissed advice that people who are undocumented will be afraid to return to family and residences in the area due to the Sheriff's checkpoints and policy of cooperating with Border Patrol.

• "In a time of emergency, the Sheriff seems inclined to put immigration politics over basic human decency," said Kevin Keenan, executive Director of the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties. "It will be a shameful mark on an otherwise commendable performance during the County's historic wildfire tragedy."

• The checkpoints may last between one and three days. During this time Border Patrol and other agencies will be assisting the Sheriff's Department. North (San Diego) County is home to a large population of farmworkers, landscapers, and domestic workers--many undocumented--who help harvest tomatoes and other crops and tend to the area's many wealthy residences. It is expected that this same population will be relied upon to rebuild, clean up, and hastily harvest surviving crops.

• "The Sheriff needs to prioritize helping people get home after this long ordeal," said Norma Chavez Peterson, executive director of Justice Overcoming Boundaries. "He will exacerbate the area's crisis by keeping residents displaced, rather than administering a safe and swift return."

According to the Immigrant Rights Consortium, who set up relief centers for immigrants at Qualcomm and the Del Mar Fairgrounds:

-"We have a humanitarian crisis that is escalating. Red Cross will no longer allow the NGOs that have been transporting goods to families in need who can't get to RC distribution sites or who are too scared to go to access relief supplies. They are requiring individuals to appear in person and identify themselves. This affects not only undocumented and mixed families, but also the poor and homeless who don't have transportation, including Native Americans on/near non-gaming tribal lands who are not being serviced and were greatly affected."

From Enrique Morones of Border Angels:

"This fire storm has brought out the best and sometimes the worst in people. There have been several cases of discrimination, intimidation and inequity in the relief efforts and we want to make it clear...that we are one community, and we want to be sure all the needs of the entire community are met. We will continue to reach out to those in need and demand that we will not tolerate discrimination or intimidation of any kind."

"While with KATRINA, many of our African American brethren were unfairly treated and characterized, now its us, the Latino community, that are often targeted" states Enrique Morones of Border Angels & Gente Unida.

Please be sure to join us as we will ask other community members and organizations to join us, we realize there are many people involved in reaching out to our brethren and this is greatly appreciated. As Martin Luther King taught us "injustice here, is injustice everywhere"

Brian Leubitz is the founder and publisher of Calitics, a progressive open source news organization for California politics. Prior to starting Calitics, he was an attorney and more recently he obtained a masters degree in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the Univeristy of California, Berkeley. This article is republished with his permission.

Posted on October 28, 2007

Comments

Those of us who live in the fire-damaged and evac areas can only commend Mr. Kolendar for finally taking an interest in the plight of Back Country people who are a) overrun nightly by illegal aliens headed north and b) currently being looted in droves by people from across the border.

If, in fact, your reports are correct (and you have not specifically named your sources, I note) then he is doing more for rural resident safety than he has done since he took office.

More likely, however, deputies and state police are doing no more than exercising longtime public safety policy. It is routine in ANY evac area to check IDs of returning people to ensure that they really ARE residents of the neighborhoods they are trying to get into, rather than looky-loos, looters or scam artists.

Everyone knows this, except, apparently, you and the ACLU. Morones, of course, doesn't care about the truth OR rural residents.

Perhaps some fact-checking is in order before we start slinging accusations of "human rights violations." And, perhaps, you might also consider the rights of the people whose communities are being torn apart by the fires and by daily illegal immigrant incursions.

Does the "progressive" point of view consider such constant and grievous harm to rural U.S. citizens to be acceptable?

Posted by: Billie Jo Jannen at October 28, 2007 12:10 PM

Those of us who live in the fire-damaged and evac areas can only commend Mr. Kolendar for finally taking an interest in the plight of Back Country people who are a) overrun nightly by illegal aliens headed north and b) currently being looted in droves by people from across the border.

If, in fact, your reports are correct (and you have not specifically named your sources, I note) then he is doing more for rural resident safety than he has done since he took office.

More likely, however, deputies and state police are doing no more than exercising longtime public safety policy. It is routine in ANY evac area to check IDs of returning people to ensure that they really ARE residents of the neighborhoods they are trying to get into, rather than looky-loos, looters or scam artists.

Everyone knows this, except, apparently, you and the ACLU. Morones, of course, doesn't care about the truth OR rural residents.

Perhaps some fact-checking is in order before we start slinging accusations of "human rights violations." And, perhaps, you might also consider the rights of the people whose communities are being torn apart by the fires and by daily illegal immigrant incursions.

Does the "progressive" point of view consider such constant and grievous harm to rural U.S. citizens to be acceptable?

Posted by: Billie Jo Jannen at October 28, 2007 12:11 PM

The illegal aliens are free to go home. Their home in mexico.
Deport them all and screw the ACLU!

Posted by: Bill A from GA at October 28, 2007 02:28 PM

mi casa your casa can shove it up their mexican butts now that there is no cover
they complain ABOUT "check points" so looters cannot loot homes "HOW DARE US PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE" JOBS AMERICANS WILL NOT DO" AMERICANS WILL NOT LOOT PEOPLE IN NEED WE ARE AMERICANS NOT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LOOTERS OF DESPERATE PEOPLE WHAT SCUM BAGS COCKROCHES MEXICANS ILLEGALS IMMIGRANTS WHY ARE THEY IN OUR COUNTRY? PS FOX EX ,MEX PRS. SAYS' WE NEED THEN, IF THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT WHY DO THEY FLEE MEXICO AND REFUSE TO GO HOME?

Posted by: lynn christen at October 28, 2007 02:41 PM

uh, I fail to see what is "Disturbing" about this? I mean, if I was unlawfully residing in another country, who was fed up with the likes of me within the country, I would find it kind of strange that law enforcement would be sitting back while I freely moved about right under their noses.

Posted by: JimAZtec at October 28, 2007 03:19 PM

I am a American married to mexicana, my wife is legally here. We belive that the illegal immigrants not from only mexico but other countries are causing many problems in the U.S.A. Every job that a illegal immigrant has done i did at one time in my life. The San Diego AClU should protect the American Citizen and legal immigrant, rights and civil liberties.
If I was a illegal in Mexico I would be deported in 24 hours, Fox or Mexico doesnt mention that.

I commend the Sheriff Kolender and his staff on sending the Illegals to the border Patrol for deportation. he is only upholding the Law and protecting the citizens of the county.

Posted by: Dave A at October 28, 2007 03:27 PM

I think the ACLU needs to leave this to the sherif and keep their nose out of this. If they dont have ID they are obviosly ILLEGAL which means nothing to the aclu. How about the illegal alians that were steeling from the stadiam or should I say the familys in need and trying to sell it to the same people in need. I think this is a great oppratunity to rid the hills of San Diego. Now they will really be able to see them after this burn, and the illegal that had his trailer burn should be picked up and deported, not given money like he hopes will happen. Non of them belong here thats why they are called ILLEGAL ALIANS!!! aclu what a joke thinking its disturbing to pick them up at check points, well it will be disturbing to me and other AMERICANS IF THEY DONT AND JUST LET THEM GO.

Posted by: DAVID H at October 28, 2007 03:41 PM

Illegal means Illegal. They have no right to be here The ACLU is a pro illegal anti American bunch of lawyers, I am tired of my tax dollars going to help support them.If this report is true Good job Sheriff.What do you think the illegals want to get in the nieghor hoods for ?? TO LOOT DUH

Posted by: Randy at October 28, 2007 03:46 PM

I can full well understand and support the screening of people who are coming back to neighborhoods after a fire or disaster--to prevent looting. But that does not mean that someone returning to a home--that they may have purchased, or that they were renting, should be deported if they provide proof that that is where they live.

Those who are here--legal or not--should not have to fear deportation if they call upon law enforcement when they need help or seek other protections of the law. That does not mean the borders need to be opened up. It also doesn't mean that those who are trampling property, squatting on other people's land, or committing crimes should be allowed to do so.

But as long as we have allowed people from Mexico to come here--and they have been hired by businesses, restaurants, in agriculture, and in so many cases lived here for so long, it seems inhumane to me to deport them for trying to get back to their residences.

To call them cockroaches, as did one commenter here, is to dehumanize them--the same term that was used in Rwanda to justify genocide and is appalling.

Once again, if it is checking ID's that's one thing, but if it is--as these reports and others have said--using the extraordinary powers granted in an emergency to do what otherwise cannot be done--that is an entirely different kettle of fish.

The ACLU and other groups do not have to just leave it to the sherrif. This is what we have courts for and the rule of law--which makes the sherrif's actions suspect. A court will have to rule on this.

Posted by: Frank D. Russo at October 28, 2007 04:45 PM

The mexican mantra

All of the laws should be enforced equally, regardless of race, religion, and/or national origin. That is with the exception of mexicans, and they should be above the law and exempt from the law. And the only purpose that a tonto gringo serves is to pay taxes to support the superior and noble mexican.

Anyone who disagrees with this philosophy is Xenophobic and a Racist.

Pancho

All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, Animal Farm, ch.10, 1945

Posted by: Pancho at October 28, 2007 04:47 PM

:But as long as we have allowed people from Mexico to come here--and they have been hired by businesses, restaurants, in agriculture, and in so many cases lived here for so long, it seems inhumane to me to deport them for trying to get back to their residences."

would you say the same of someone who broke into your home and set up residence and then told you everything was now their's for the taking? Probably not, so what's the difference? Nothing. Our laws whether or not our stupid government fails to adequately enforce them does NOT give illegal aliens a free ticket to do as they please. You break a law, there are consequences to those actions. Deportation is that consequence. The rule of law should prevail and those that break it should receive the appropriate punishement, if that means loosing what they illegal got so be it. They should have knocked on the front door not sneaked in the back way and then be rewarded. I applaud the Sheriff for doing what's right. Now the people of California who must rebuild should firmly and vocally say NO to allowing the use of illegal aliens in the rebuilding. No jobs they will leave and return to their legal homelands where they rightfully and legally belong.

Posted by: tiredofit at October 28, 2007 05:45 PM

The injustice! how dare someone that has broken a law get punished for it? How dare a sheriff protect people who are already devastated from being looted? the b.s. is potent enough to give anyone with any common sense a migraine.

Posted by: winterbane at October 28, 2007 06:01 PM

Our economy has been in turmoil because of the illegal alien invasion and all the money used to support foreign nationals would be better spent on the homeless of the Southern California wildfires.


The wake up call to all legal citizens has finally had results. Hopefully the tide is turning and the American people are finally realizing that cheap foreign labor is not the answer. In Europe they are just beginning to wake up to the nightmare that the free trade, globalist European Union is causing devastation to their way of life. America has caught on quickly to the globalist agenda, led by King Bush and Royal court. Flooding this nation with cheap foreign workers to lower wages is been found out, and undermining American society isn't going to work anymore. Taxpayers are sick and tired of supporting illegal employers practices and paying for their illegal alien hires.

14 GOOD REASONS TO DEPORT ILLEGAL ALIENS (websites provided for
verification)

Hope these 14 reasons are read by the majority of Americans. Then they will have something to yell at
their U.S. Congress members.

http://www.dfwstangs.net/forums/showthread.php?t=338051

$11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year.
_http://tinyurl.com/zob77_ (http://tinyurl.com/zob77)

$2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as
food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.
_http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html _
(http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html)

$2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.
_http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html _
(http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html)

$12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school
educ ation for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of
English! _http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html _
(http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI...4/01/ldt.0.html)

$17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born
children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
_http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html _
(http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI.../01/ldt.01.html)

$3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
_http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html _
(http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI.../01/ldt.01.html)

30% of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
_http://transcripts.cnncom/TRANSCRIPTS/06 _
(http://transcripts.cnncom/TRANSCRIPTS/06) 04/01/ldt.01.html

$90 Bill ion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social
services by the American taxpayers.
_http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html _
(http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html)

$200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the
illegal aliens. _http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html _
(http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI.../01/ldt.01.html)

The illegal aliens in the United States ha ve a crime rate that's two and a
half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children,
are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the United States
_http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html_
(http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI.../12/ldt.01.html)

During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that
crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from
Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine
and marijuana, crossed into the U. S. from the Southern border. Homeland
Security Report: _http://tinyurl.com/t9sht_ (http://tinyurl.com/t9sht)

The National Policy Institute "estimated that the total cost of mass
deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of
between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period."
_http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf _
(http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute....deportation.pdf)

In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their
countries of origin. _http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm_
(http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm)

So if deporting them costs between $206 and $230 BILLION DOLLARS, Start
removing the illegal foreign labor force before its too late..' We'll be ahead after the 1st year!!!

Please pass this on. Americans need to wake up!
Bye Now

www.numbersusa.com
www.judicialwatch.org
http://www.alipac.us/index.php
The Dark Side of illegal immigration
http://www.usillegalaliens.com/the_dark_side_of_illegal_immigration.html
Unsuppressed facts
http://www.immigrationcounters.com/
Illegal Immigration News not found in the major media
http://www.idexer.com/
http://www.libertypost.org/
http://www.americanpatrol.com/
http://capwiz.com/caps/home

Posted by: Brittanicus at October 28, 2007 06:17 PM

The California chapter of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps MCDC were at the Campo Shelter ALL this week providing site security and were welcomed by everyone there!

Did the ACLU or that Moron “Enrique Morones Or Chavaez Peterson show up ALL week to assist the needy?

NO, the Minutemen did! And without asking any questions!

So, quit with all the RACE crap, Americans want the laws enforced, and your wacko left wing groups will NOT stop that!

Get over it or go to another country, we are feed up with all of your ACLU, Maldef, La Raza, Border Angels, Overcoming Boundaries Extremist groups!

Posted by: Ken Dreger at October 28, 2007 07:09 PM

The only thing disturbing about the Sheriff enforcing the law is that Brian Leubitz, Silly Founder and Publisher, thinks it's a bad idea.

Mr. Leubitz, take the door off your home and see who moves in. This is what has been happening to America for decades. And it's time for it to stop.

And, no, I'm not racist. Send the illegal Irish home first, but deport all illegals NOW.

Posted by: Anonyma at October 28, 2007 08:30 PM

This country is not going hell because of illegals, it is going to hell because of people like the ones of you posting on this site. It makes me physical sick to think that my children will be growing up in a world with people like you all as neighbors. I am beginning to prefer illegals. Reading these comments make my stomach turn. Someone ought to take the heel of her boot and stomp you all like the nasty little cockroaches you are (not illegals). Not one of you yelling deport them offer in real solutions. The next time you get the urge to deport someone, why don't you walk in their footsteps. Do their job for a day? What can't do it? To good for that kind of work? For the post about illegals breaking into "your house" and laying claim to your stuff. These illegals did not break into this country. We, for years, have held the door wide ass open. You all can blame the government alll you want to. It is not just their fault. You all need to take your share of the blame. When the economy was doing really well, no one complained. Everyone was so happy they didn't have to get down and do the really hard, nasty, back-breaking work. I am 34 years old and I have never seen bigger bunch of hypocrites than the people who scream deport them, deport them. I have finally reached by limit with ignorant people who have nothing real to say. They only let their gums flap and flap because they have nothing to contribute to the human race. How dare you all blame the illegals for your lack of understanding when it came to these governments of the world creating a global economy. I know you all can't be stupid enough not to have seen this coming. When jobs and money move, so do people looking for jobs. For once in your self-induligent little lives open your damn eyes. Every thing that you do now will come back on you all ten fold or your children or grand-children. What do you think will happen when this generation of legal hispanic children are grown? You all are trying to persecute their parents, family and friends. Can't wait till my children get to sit in judgement of you and your children. Hopefully they will do a lot better job than you all. Because you know, we never seem to learn from past mistakes. So you can have you little temper-tatrum, stomp your foot like my 3 year old, but in years to come the decision you all are making will come home to you. Not in a good way.

Posted by: Disgusted at October 29, 2007 02:41 PM

To "Disgusted": I hope you feel better now. (Yawn)

Posted by: Anonyma at October 29, 2007 08:01 PM

I applaud the actions of the Sheriff.As has been demonstrated by their opportunistic and dastardly motives,illegal aliens are forcing upon us the realization that nothing is sacred when it comes to taking advantage of the charity and kindness of the American people.Its a good thing for them(illegal aliens) that we don't live in a more draconian society where they'd be shot for looting.Deport all illegal aliens.No atzlan!!!!!

Posted by: Doug D. at October 29, 2007 10:08 PM

I would bet that the Sheriff has no problem with re-election. Much the same as that Sheriff in Arizona who feeds his inmates bologna sandwiches, and has tent city for inmates.

If I recall, there's a bus with a 1-800 hotline to report illegals. He picks them up, holds them in cells, then deports them.

Russo does bring up a few good points. Illegals will be less likely to help police investigate crime if they fear deportation.

Of course one might argue, or question how illegals are obtaining mortgages, or bank accounts in the first place? Doesn't one need a social security, or ID number for such things?

Perhaps there would be less illegal immigration if one had to provide ID, green card, or proof of legal residence before being allowed to rent/own a residence.

That and fines (or confiscation of property) for those who rent/sell property to illegals.

Posted by: AngelDecoys at October 30, 2007 07:54 AM

Man Some people dont even know what they are talking about. We (Americans) are the ones in what was at one point mexico (yes san diego was apart of mexico until aroun 1850 or so) get your facts straight. Just like the indians, mexicans were here first. Bottom line.

Now as far as the police using a fire emergency to deport folks, that is foul. Some of these people have homes here as well and have been evacuated as well to just deport them in the middle of a emergency is wrong period. Americans have a habit of complaining about things with no thought to the realities. We took this land from the indians and the mexicans get a grip it is only natural they want it back. At least the indians can form their own nation and do what they want like get rich with casinos. Bottom line this is a former piece of mexico folks learn your history before you bash we are just as illegal as they are. Actually if you want to be technical we stole there land.

Posted by: PStew at December 4, 2007 11:06 PM

Pro-illegal activists often ridicule the anti-illegal side about "the irrational fear of the reconquista movement- the retaking of the southwest by displaced mexicans". But when you read posters like PStew one may think that those fears may not be so irrational after all.

He mentions "just like the indians, mexicans were here first". Well they couldn't have both been first,by definition, there can only be one. Those who we now call Mexicans (or Spanish) "stole" California from the indians. But of course its taboo to mention any sins on their side. Only the "white man" is capable of evil doings, right PStew?

Posted by: Alan at January 7, 2008 01:53 PM

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