From the MJM

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: September 23, 2008

About 40 law enforcement officers gathered in Culpeper early this morning for a county-wide sweep for illegal immigrants.

Town, county, state and federal officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement met around 3:30 a.m. at the Culpeper Police Department, where they organized into several teams.
Following a briefing, the teams gathered for final last-minute preparations on Cameron Street before beginning the sweep around 5 a.m. Some of the teams got into unmarked SUVs, while others drove unmarked sedans, accompanied by local officers in marked patrol cars.

Sources say about 25 people were targeted in the sweep. The outcome of the joint initiative was not immediately known.

Town spokesman Wally Bunker said the results of the sweep will be discussed at a 1 p.m. press conference at the Commonwealth’s Attorneys office.

Officials said the sweep was meant to target three categories of people – those who had returned to the U.S. illegally after being deported, suspected or known gang members, and those who have very frequent but minor involvement with the law.

Now what is all THIS about? It sounds like a collective effort of the Culpeper Sherif’s Dept, the VA State Police and ICE to round up illegal immigrants. Since when is this done? Some folks must be in a state of Nirvana tonight. Others are probably very sad if their family members are gone.

Facts please.

http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/illegal_immigrants_targeted_in_culpeper/21567/

21 Thoughts to “Illegal immigrants Rounded Up in Culpeper”

  1. Lucky Duck

    The typical protocol for actions such as this is that the Feds (ICE) would inform the local authorities of their plans and request the uniform presence. Because Culpepper has a small sheriff’s department, the State Police assigned to that area were probably requested to assist with a uniform presence also.

    If you remember, a few months before the resolution was debated, there was a similar action here in Prince William. In that case, ICE contacted the local department and requested a uniformed presence to go along with their agents. Chief Deane stressed that the local department did not design nor request the action but was responding to another agency’s request for assistance in their work.

    I could be wrong and we’ll find out from the press conference, but that is how the scenario usually plays out.

  2. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Why is it not surprising that Chuckles Dean would never initiate a law enforcement activity on his own. He is not THE worst excuse for a law enforcement official I’ve ever seen, but he’s close.

  3. Rick Bentley

    Excellent .. more, please.

  4. Ricardo Bentley,

    Don’t you think you’re going too far by advocating turning the country into a police state?

  5. The typical protocol for actions such as this is that the Feds (ICE) would inform the local authorities of their plans and request the uniform presence. Because Culpepper has a small sheriff’s department, the State Police assigned to that area were probably requested to assist with a uniform presence also.

    If the Culpepper Sheriff’s department and the State Police were requested, it means they did not have to do this. They chose to participate. If they started declining the requests, maybe these raids would abate.

  6. Lucky Duck

    Slowpoke, local and State cannot initiate such actions on their own. They do not have any authority to do so. They can assist in such federal action, but cannot act without federal authority and/or assistance.

    No department is going to decline to assist another and why should they?

  7. No department is going to decline to assist another and why should they?

    Mmmm…well….perhaps the United States Constitution could be a reason…just maybe…

  8. Lucky Duck

    ICE raids are a legal action. Read the court cases. Whether you support them or not is an opinion, not the law. No where in the United States Constitution is such action prohibited or even addressed. Nice try.

  9. I need to get off this blog. It feels like the sky is falling. The economic crash has trumped the immigration issue IMHO. If we don’t pull together on this one, it won’t mater who you think is making us poor because we will ALL be poor, tacos or no tacos.

  10. Lucky Duck

    Good answer. Put a lot of thought into that one.

    The fact is that until there is some sort of reform there will some sort of ICE raids on a periodic basis. They may lessen or increase in frequency with various administrations but they will be used until there is reform of the system. Again, regardless of your or anyone else’s opinion of them, they have been ruled time and again by a variety of courts to be a lawful act.

  11. Moon-howler

    Lucky Duck, Thanks for your input into this one. The article almost escaped me. There certainly are some unanswered questions on this raid. I suppose more info will be forthcoming.

    Slow, some of us here like Chief Deane. He is, and has been, good for most of us here in PWC.

    Kgotthardt, I totally agree. The financial situation certainly does trump all other concerns this week. I am one of those folks who wants something done with all the stop-gaps. Oversight, no bonuses or mega-salaries for the CEOs, regulations.

  12. Marie

    kgotthardt,
    I totally agree. I, too, feel like the sky is falling and I am not even a “Chicken Little”.

  13. Lawyer Ducky,

    they have been ruled time and again by a variety of courts to be a lawful act

    The anti-immigrant resolution is the law as well.

    Does that make it right?

  14. Moon-howler

    The anti-immigration resolution is neutered. Why discuss it?

  15. Moon-howler

    Because it is beating a dead horse that is soon to die.

    Let’s let that which should never been created just die a peaceful death, after the havoc it has wreaked on our community.

  16. poutyface

    That’s what you get for being here illegally. You are ALWAYS looking over
    your shoulder because you know you are breaking a law(s). Why wasn’t this
    action looked upon by you guys as a county enforcing it’s laws? Poor illegals.
    Law enforcement is not separating their families. The illegals have to know that the day will come when their illegal status will catch up to them and it will affect the family they chose to bring/raise here.

  17. mmartin

    its completely fair. thats why they are called ILLEGAL immigrants. while the actions of one do not stand as the actions of all of the illegal immigrants, but I am tired of being sexually harassed and as well as having inappropriate pseudo-English things yelled at me every time I walk into a store or get out of my car in Culpeper.
    Police sit and ambush speeders on the highway, they set up drug busts, etc, in other words, they are punishing people for doing ILLEGAL things; why is this case any different?

  18. Moon-howler

    Welcome mmartin. This is a very old thread. Hopefully you will join more current discussions that deal with similar topics.

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