Citizens Protest Authorities

[retro1983hat]

ID sweep triggers protests

Many call raid in Little Village intimidation

 

By Antonio Olivo, Tribune staff reporter. Tribune staff reporter Emma Graves Fitzsimmons contributed to this report

Published April 25, 2007

 

 

In what could be a warm-up for a planned immigration march next week, about 300 protesters shouted and waved signs for several hours in Little Village on Tuesday after a federal raid inside a shopping plaza.

 

Officials described the afternoon raid as a crackdown on a ring suspected of selling fake identification in the Southwest Side neighborhood, part of a years-long effort to control a persistent problem connected to illegal immigration.

 

Neighborhood residents and local activists, however, saw the action in the heart of Chicago's Mexican community as an attempt to intimidate people in advance of a planned May 1 march to Daley Plaza in protest of recent federal raids nationwide. Word of the Tuesday raid quickly spread through the neighborhood, with organizers of next week's march arriving with ready-made signs, drums and megaphones. The crowd closed the intersection of 26th Street and Albany Avenue for hours, chanting in a semicircle as Chicago police directed traffic away.

 

"They're trying to scare us," said Juan Luis Martinez, 22, a Little Village resident, predicting the action would pull more people into the streets next Tuesday. "It won't work."

 

Among the protesters were some witnesses, who said that as many as 16 people were arrested when agents toting rifles and dressed in bulletproof vests stopped about 150 shoppers and workers inside the Little Village Discount Mall.

 

Officials declined to confirm the numbers or the details of the raid, saying a news conference is scheduled Wednesday at the Chicago U.S. attorney's office. involves a search warrant for records.

 

Federal agents long have considered the Little Village area home to a thriving trade in illegal IDs and have made several arrests during sweeps over the years.

 

Recently, the trade has evolved to include stolen Social Security numbers, according to a federal affidavit filed in connection to a raid this month in Beardstown, Ill.

 

Local residents acknowledged the illegal activity, attributing it to the desperation some illegal immigrants have to find work.

 

But the manner in which the action was taken -- in daylight as parents walked children home from school -- inflamed the community.

 

Baltazar Enriquez, 27, was at the mall to buy shoes after leaving his construction job when about 60 agents stormed in and shut down all the stores, he said. The agents, carrying pictures of suspects, lined up people against a wall and checked to see whether they had anyone they were looking for, Enriquez said.

 

"It was everybody who looked Latino," he said. When one burly agent asked him for identification, Enriquez said he responded in English: "I'm shopping. Why do you need to know my status?"

 

The agent, he said, ordered Enriquez to clear out.

 

Marisol Iniguez, an employee at the mall, said agents kicked open bathroom doors with guns drawn.

 

"They treated us like criminals," she said.

 

Jorge Mujica, a lead organizer of next week's march, watched protesters waving signs and chanting in front of a brick gateway arching across 26th Street that welcomed visitors to Little Village's normally bustling commercial strip.

 

"This is our Sensenbrenner this year," Mujica said, referring to the catalyst for marches across the country last year after Wisconsin congressman James Sensenbrenner proposed federal legislation that would have made assisting illegal immigrants a felony.

 

During a week when organizers have been trying to spread the word about the march, "they're doing the work for us," Mujica said, referring to federal immigration officials.

 

 

 

Those damn authorities. How dare they do their job and arrest people breaking the law.

I just don't get the protest unless they are trying to drum up publicity for this rally next week. If that's the case, shame on the media for covering it.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

Those damn authorities. How dare they do their job and arrest people breaking the law.

 

I was gonna agree reading the first half of that up until the whole racial profiling part...

[EvilMonkey]

I was gonna agree reading the first half of that up until the whole racial profiling part...

Since everyone they were looking for was hispanic, why is it such a big deal that they nly checked hispanics? Should they have needlessly stopped black people too, just to not offend anyone? I like this part:

Local residents acknowledged the illegal activity, attributing it to the desperation some illegal immigrants have to find work.

Sure, they're here and break the law, but you can't arrest them! How DARE you look for them during the day, when they are out in public!

[NorthSideSox72]

Our immigrations policies are flawed, but that is no excuse for breaking the law. Even worse, people seem to think that illegal aliens actually deserve something. They are here illegally, I have zero sympathy for them.

[SoxFan562004]

so what, authorities knew this was going on and were supposed to ignore it? So when someone with a fake I.D. committed a major crime using the fake they would have gotten flack for that?

 

They knew of illegal activity and they acted on it

[southsider2k5]

so what, authorities knew this was going on and were supposed to ignore it? So when someone with a fake I.D. committed a major crime using the fake they would have gotten flack for that?

 

They knew of illegal activity and they acted on it

 

All it would have taken is one terrorist to buy an ID out of this ring and the outrage would have been on why we didn't do anything about it.

[StrangeSox]

Our immigrations policies are flawed, but that is no excuse for breaking the law. Even worse, people seem to think that illegal aliens actually deserve something. They are here illegally, I have zero sympathy for them.

 

I always wonder what rights they are protesting about at these rallies.

[Texsox]

Baltazar Enriquez, 27, was at the mall to buy shoes after leaving his construction job when about 60 agents stormed in and shut down all the stores, he said. The agents, carrying pictures of suspects, lined up people against a wall and checked to see whether they had anyone they were looking for, Enriquez said.

 

"It was everybody who looked Latino," he said. When one burly agent asked him for identification, Enriquez said he responded in English: "I'm shopping. Why do you need to know my status?"

 

The agent, he said, ordered Enriquez to clear out.

 

Marisol Iniguez, an employee at the mall, said agents kicked open bathroom doors with guns drawn.

 

Seems a bit overzealous. Imagine if they shut down Woodfield and kicked in those doors with guns drawn.

[StrangeSox]

Seems a bit overzealous. Imagine if they shut down Woodfield and kicked in those doors with guns drawn.

 

It was believed that the ring was being run out of the Little Village Discount Mall, at least partially.

 

I highly doubt yuppies in Woodfield are looking to buy fake ID's and stolen SSN's.

[EvilMonkey]

Seems a bit overzealous. Imagine if they shut down Woodfield and kicked in those BATHROOM doors with guns drawn.

Fixed that little ommision for ya, Tex. I know it was just one word, but it does change the context of the quote just a tad. If they had kicked open the mall doors there as well, there would have been an even bigger ourtage. No problem with the bathroom doors, whichever place it would have been at.

[Texsox]

It was believed that the ring was being run out of the Little Village Discount Mall, at least partially.

 

I highly doubt yuppies in Woodfield are looking to buy fake ID's and stolen SSN's.

 

But how many were innocent versus the guilty? Did they really have to go to those extremes with innocent people there shopping? Were forgers considered armed and dangerous? I'm surprised the police went in like that. In fact I doubt the accuracy of those statements.

 

OK, bathroom walls. You are inside changing your baby and the police break down the bathroom door with guns drawn? Seems extreme and as I mentioned above, I wonder if it is really accurate. This must not be the kind of mall I am thinking of. I know Woodfield is too big, but I picture a public place with the public strolling among shops.

[StrangeSox]

But how many were innocent versus the guilty? Did they really have to go to those extremes with innocent people there shopping? Were forgers considered armed and dangerous? I'm surprised the police went in like that. In fact I doubt the accuracy of those statements.

 

OK, bathroom walls. You are inside changing your baby and the police break down the bathroom door with guns drawn? Seems extreme and as I mentioned above, I wonder if it is really accurate. This must not be the kind of mall I am thinking of. I know Woodfield is too big, but I picture a public place with the public strolling among shops.

 

 

I also would bet that those statements are a bit exaggerated.

 

I don't know at what threat level these people were assessed. It's possible that they believed they *may* be armed and dangerous.

 

I'm definitely not a big supporter of the over-militarization of the police and their quickness in use of force, but if you know a ton of counterfeiters are going to be at this place, you need to lock it down and keep everyone contained so that they can't get away easily.

 

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_114185426.html

 

Here's a video in this link. They show a glimpse of the mall.

 

 

 

From the CBS video:

 

"Selling illegal papers to immigrants so that they can work. That's all we need them for, to work. But apparently that's against the law and God forbid we help America."

 

Yeah, selling forged ID's and stolen SSN's are against the law, you moron.

Edited April 26, 2007 by StrangeSox

[Texsox]

Hundreds of innocent people detained at gun point, hundred innocent processed, to arrest 15 of the 60 warrants. Again, imagine if Federal agents detained hundreds of white people?

 

Her comment, if I could help translate, they want the documents so they can go get a job. Not so they can take a government handout, they want to work. I have more sympathy for someone who is desperate for a job than legal residents who sit on their ass and accept public aid.

[StrangeSox]

Hundreds of innocent people detained at gun point, hundred innocent processed, to arrest 15 of the 60 warrants. Again, imagine if Federal agents detained hundreds of white people?

 

If there were white people running drug rings out of Woodfield Mall, it'd probably happen.

 

It may have been a bit over-zealous, yes. But they knew one of the centers for the ring and knew that a lot of the wanted people would be there. What do you propose they should have done? I don't know what situation could have been less intrusive to the innocent people but still have caught all of the criminals there.

 

Her comment, if I could help translate, they want the documents so they can go get a job. Not so they can take a government handout, they want to work. I have more sympathy for someone who is desperate for a job than legal residents who sit on their ass and accept public aid.

 

I understand her comments. Yes, I'd rather have people working than sitting on their butts and collecting welfare.

 

They're still breaking the law by using fake ID's and stolen SSN's. These people have repeatedly shown no respect for the law. Immigration laws need major, major overhauls but illegal immigrants that are here now shouldn't just get a free pass to break as many laws as they need to to get a job.

Edited April 26, 2007 by StrangeSox

[Texsox]

What is troubling to me is the show of force for a "white collar" crime. Guns drawn etc. I wonder what they were expecting?

[Gregory Pratt]

I know the mall. It's a small little place. It's not like a typical mall. It's definitely not a white mall. It's a bazaar-type of place.

[santo=dorf]

QUOTE(Texsox @ Apr 26, 2007 -> 01:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What is troubling to me is the show of force for a "white collar" crime. Guns drawn etc. I wonder what they were expecting?

Well considering they have evidence of them talking about KILLING the competitors, I don't blame them for being armed.

 

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_115063302.html

 

 

Leija-Sanchez and Salazar-Rodriguez allegedly discussed the execution of one competitor, known only as "Montes" earlier this month, in which it would have been made to look like a robbery. They also allegedly discussed killing another competitor, "Bruno," in a scenario in which he would have been kidnapped and dismembered, prosecutors said.

 

Leija-Sanchez was charged with conspiracy to commit murder outside the United States. He and 21 co-defendants were also charged with participating in a 3-1/2 year conspiracy to illegally produce IDs and other documents. Ten of those charged are fugitives, and four are believed to be in Mexico, federal prosecutors said.

[mr_genius]

haha, Utah.

 

http://kutv.com/local/local_story_116133225.html

 

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah County District 65 Chairman Don Larsen has submitted a formal resolution to oppose the devil’s plan to destroy the country -- to be discussed this weekend at the Utah County Republican Convention.

 

“In order for Satan to establish his ‘New World Order’ and destroy the freedom of all people as predicted in the scriptures, he must first destroy the U.S.,”

 

Larsen’s proposal to defeat Satan? Close the borders to illegal immigrants to “prevent the destruction of the U.S. by stealth invasion.”

Edited April 26, 2007 by mr_genius

[SleepyWhiteSox]

Well considering they have evidence of them talking about KILLING the competitors, I don't blame them for being armed.

 

All the more reason not to burst in with guns drawn when there are hundreds of innocent bystanders, no?

[StrangeSox]

All the more reason not to burst in with guns drawn when there are hundreds of innocent bystanders, no?

 

What would be the better way to contain a group of several hundred that could have several dozen potentially dangerous suspects?

[SleepyWhiteSox]

What would be the better way to contain a group of several hundred that could have several dozen potentially dangerous suspects?

 

The several hundred shoppers and workers that did not have anything to do with it DID NOT need to be contained.

 

How about this: if they took the time to profile, identify, knew that some were dangerous, and have arrest warrants for who they wanted to arrest, why not just arrest them at their homes?

[Flash Tizzle]

The several hundred shoppers and workers that did not have anything to do with it DID NOT need to be contained.

 

How about this: if they took the time to profile, identify, knew that some were dangerous, and have arrest warrants for who they wanted to arrest, why not just arrest them at their homes?

It's more efficient to arrest a large group of alleged criminals in one setting rather than systematically detaining every person at their place of residence.

 

You simply can't coordinate such a large operation without hundreds of additional officers and the possibility of several escaping once word was released.

[Gregory Pratt]

I love it. Let's go into a Mexican mall guns blazing because it's easier to detain them but do nothing when someone is shooting up a College or a High School.

 

I don't have anything else to add on the issue. I just think that's noteworthy.

 

The truth is that modern policemen are historians, for the most part.

[Flash Tizzle]

I love it. Let's go into a Mexican mall guns blazing because it's easier to detain them but do nothing when someone is shooting up a College or a High School.

If only those two scenarios were remotely similar to one another.

 

 

 

The truth is that modern policemen are historians, for the most part.

Seriously, you know you're my guy, but have you suffered a significant head injury recently? It just seems your posts are becoming more and more bizarre.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

What is troubling to me is the show of force for a "white collar" crime. Guns drawn etc. I wonder what they were expecting?

 

 

If I were in that neighborhood I'd probably not feel comfortable unless I was armed also.

 

As for these people. I don't know who the bloody hell they think they are. They feel as though they can just flout the law and then start a protest when they get arrested for doing so. And we tolerate it. We tolerate it because all these whiny leftist diversity nazi's get a woody at the thought of this country being overrun by illegal aliens.