INS Guidelines to Restrict Workplace Raids
According to a report in the Washington Post, the INS plans on enacting procedures to control how work site enforcement raids take place. According to the report, the new guidelines will require the following:
– INS offices must issue warnings prior to a work site raid if the employer is suspected of hiring illegal workers “unknowingly.”
– INS officers must obtain formal approval for raids from INS headquarters or regional offices
– “community liaison officers” are to accompany enforcement officers on raids
– raids are to be avoided where they would result in “contentious circumstances” such as raids on restaurants during lunch or dinner hours.
Michael Pearson, INS field operations chief, claims the new procedures will address complaints by Congress and other groups and will promote consistency and incorporate the best practices of various offices.
Other INS officials privately told the Post that the measures equate to a “knuckling under” to special-interest groups and are likely to cripple agents’ ability to mount effective work site raids.
INS Conducts Raids in Oregon
INS conducted a sweep of undocumented workers in the Eugene-Springfield area. Of the 78 workers arrested, 66 agreed to leave the U.S. voluntarily, and the rest requested formal deportation hearings.
Haitians Flock to U.S.
In late May, a boatload of approximately 150 Haitians arrived in Miami. In all, 89 men, women and children were taken into custody. The rest remain at large. In the past few months, the number of Haitians arriving illegally in the U.S. has dramatically increased. This boat landing was the largest to make its way past the U.S. Coast Guard and into U.S. waters since last November.
Four Arrested in Ecuadorian Smuggling Scheme
Historically, Ecuadorians have entered the U.S. from Mexico, but in mid-May, 15 were smuggled into Palm Beach, Florida by boat. They were bound for New York. The four smugglers were arrested later by INS officials in Miami-Dade County. The 15 Ecuadorians were taken to Krome Detention Center in Miami to await deportation.
Van Carrying Illegal Immigrants Crashes
A van that had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border at Yuma, Arizona flipped over in Southern California in early May. It was believed to be carrying 28 illegal immigrants. One person is in a coma, but the rest had only minor injuries. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
INS Sends More Border Patrol Agents to Texas
As part of Operation Rio Grande, 100 INS agents will be temporarily assigned to the Brownsville area. Of the 100 agents, 30 will be Border Patrol who will be replaced with 260 permanent agents as new agents complete the Border Patrol Academy. In addition, equipment such as night vision goggles, fiber optic scopes and other surveillance equipment will be sent. Operation Rio Grande was designed to send more agents and equipment to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Counterfeiting Ring Broken Up in Iowa
Officials in Storm Lake, Iowa say they have broken up a nationwide document-counterfeiting ring. This ring supplied both legal citizens and illegal immigrants with counterfeit documents. Officials believe that the documents were shipped from other parts of the country to Iowa for distribution and not manufactured there. Police have made at least nine arrests in Storm Lake and another 30 arrests of document-holders in Worthington, Minnesota.
Illegal Immigrants Arrested in Connecticut
Over 24 Mexican and Guatemalan farm-workers were arrested near Vernon, Connecticut and sent to a federal detention center in Pennsylvania to await deportation. They had been working at vegetable and tobacco farms. It is unclear whether the employer knew the individuals were in the U.S. illegally. The situation is still under investigation
Despite U.S. Policy, Cubans Keep Trying to Reach for U.S.
Even though U.S. policy is to send them home, a few hundred Cubans attempt to gain entry into the U.S. each year. Between January and April of this year, 170 Cubans in 28 groups have made it to the U.S. During the same period, 143 were picked up by the Coast Guards and sent back to Cuba. In the first week of June alone, 11 Cubans in two groups made it to the U.S. mainland. Miami Beach Police took four into custody, and INS agents took the other seven into custody. Once picked up by the Coast Guard, most Cubans are sent back to Cuba. Those who make it to the U.S. mainland are detained until a sponsor or relative comes to claim them.
Illegal Immigrants Arrested in Southwest Missouri
Approximately 60 undocumented immigrants were arrested in Springfield, Missouri. About ten have criminal records and are on a list of 80 illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds who officials hope to arrest and deport. The crimes included rape, theft, burglary and drug offenses and were all committed in the U.S. The operation was the result of a six-month investigation.
Border Patrol Shifts Most Agents to Southern Border
Border Patrol agents in Central California say that because so many officers were shifted to the southern border, once illegal immigrants get to the San Joaquin Valley they will go undetected unless they commit a crime. This is due to the fact that agents in the Stockton Border Patrol office spend most of their time checking the immigration status of jail inmates suspected of violent crimes, drug crimes or series of crimes. However, residents claim that the Stockton Border Patrol agents still patrol the streets and businesses in their area for undocumented immigrants, both criminal and non-criminal.
23 Chinese Caught Trying to Enter U.S.
A 30-foot powerboat named the Oops II ran aground off the Jersey Shore carrying 23 illegal Chinese immigrants during the first week of June. One of those aboard was Wang Wu Dong who claimed to have been one of the 286 Chinese illegal immigrants who were almost smuggled into the U.S. aboard the freighter Golden Venture in 1993. After spending three years in jail in York, Pa., Wang requested to be sent back to China. This time, Wang again intends to claim asylum based on China’s one-child policy. Wang and the rest of the 23 Chinese are currently in INS custody in Elizabeth, N.J. Their hearings will probably be held within the next six months.
Two Charged for Alien Smuggling in Minnesota
Two Mexican nationals were indicted by a federal grand jury in Minnesota for allegedly smuggling 19 Ecuadorians into the U.S. They were caught when the van they were driving broke down. INS agents said that one of the defendants claimed that they were headed for the Twin Cities and New York. The 19 Ecuadorian men and women are awaiting deportation hearings in several different locations.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.