Oops, They Thought They Were Contractors

Oops, They Thought They Were Contractors
By Gordon Taylor - Managing Editor
1/24/07

Illegal Aliens Mistake ICE Vans for Contractors


It seems it just wasn't their day, a poor, tired and hungry group of guys just looking for an honest days wages in return for an honest days labor. As they waited around their local 7-Eleven warming themselves
on a hot cup of Joe, several contractors vans pulled into the parking lot to get some morning coffee.

A scene repeated everyday through out America, day labors looking
for work has almost become a bit of Americana. These gentlemen are
willing to work for their livelihood, not like panhandlers that
hold up a sign scrawled on a scrap of cardboard that says, "Will
Work for Food", hoping some caring sole will feel sorry for
them and stop to hand them a 5 or 10 dollar bill. If you actually
stop and offer them a chance to earn an honest wage, shovel your
snow or rake your leaves for instance, they will tell you that someone
is coming back to pick them up, but thank you for the offer.

This new group of day laborers are not the chronic homeless looking for
a few fast bucks for a pack of smokes and a 12 pack of their favorite
brew, these are hard working individuals that often work 12 or more
hours a day. Often they are sought out by contractors that just
need 1 or 2 guys to help close out a job, they are preferred, because
they have a good work ethic and are readily available.

In Baltimore on this sunny and cold winter day this scenario was about
to repeat itself once again. As mentioned above, said group of laborers
were milling around a local 7-Eleven and approached a group of work
vans that had just entered the parking lot. Little did they know,
the vans were occupied by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents, not contractors. While
our little group of eager wage earners were willing to go to work,
there was one problem, they were here in the United States illegally.

As it turns out there were 24 in the group, 10 were Honduran, 8 were
Mexican, 5 were Salvadoran and 1 was Peruvian. Out of this group
of men, 6 had criminal records in the United States, 8 of them had
failed to comply with final removal orders from an immigration judge
and 1 of them had been caught at the border 4 times attempting to
enter illegally. All were arrested and taken to an immigration holding
facility.

Still simply a bit of Americana, only this story had some bad luck attached.
How many mornings lately have we seen stories, much like this one,
played out on the pages of a favorite morning newspaper or website,
such as this one.

Well, here comes the rub:

The nonprofit immigrant-advocacy group CASA of Maryland called
the arrests an "illegal raid" that was beyond ICE's
authority.

Asking a bunch of people about their immigration status is well beyond
the confines of a specific warrant," CASA spokeswoman Kim Propeack said.

The group organized a press conference yesterday afternoon
in front of the 7-Eleven at South Broadway and East Lombard
streets, where the arrests occurred.

CASA officials invited other immigrant advocates and faith leaders
to protest the arrests, which they say unfairly targeted Hispanics,
and call for reforms to the country's immigration system.

"We're making it more difficult for people to be good,"
said the Rev. Robert Wojtek, pastor of neighboring St. Michael
and St. Patrick Roman Catholic parishes. "What sin against
God have these people done?"

These men were here illegally, breaking the law by simply being in that parking lot. What is it that the spokesman for CASA doesn't understand, how can he call the arrest of "illegal aliens" an "illegal raid"?


And the Rev. Robert Wojtek asked "What sin against God have these people done?" The obvious answer to me pastor is none. God did not create our immigration laws, but the God given talents of men and women certainly did.