The scene: June 12, 2007, federal regions raid the Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., a food processing plant and rounded up 167 illegal workers. Some of the workers were jailed of the federal Northwest detention center in Tacoma while others have been deported or voluntarily left the United States. However, left behind, or about 20 remaining women some with children.
While allowed to live in the community, the women cannot work. They are also not allowed to leave the country until their case is resolved. One of the women who worked at Fresh Del Monte for three years has a court date of March 2010.
"We have been denied the right to work and support our families," said Elsa Martinez Torres, who was also arrested and released in the raid and awaits a deportation hearing.
While waiting for their court date, Federal agents pay the women a surprise visit at least once a month, in addition, the women are required to present themselves to the authorities twice a month and only allowed to leave their houses during certain daylight hours.
"Somebody knocks on my door and I get scared," said Martinez, 50. "This fear is going to stay with me, I can't forget."
Abdias Cortez, 42, who has been living in the United States illegally for 20 years, claims that her three US-born children are having a hard time accepting the fact that the mother might be deported.
"My children can't concentrate on their studies, they keep asking what's going to happen, whether we will have to separate," Cortez said.
One positive impact of the raid, is that it brought the immigration crisis to light, and show the inhumane side of the immigration system according to Portland immigration lawyer,Siovhan Sheridan-Ayala.
"The raids have been an erroneous answer to solving the immigration problem," Sosa said. "They only separate families and damage the future of citizen children who will have to live in a country not their own, said Pedro Sosa, regional organizer with the American Friends Service Committee and the group's facilitator."
"don't do the crime if you can't do the time" -- Beretta
Personally, I think these people should be charged with child abuse for the conditions that they place their child into by crossing into a foreign country illegally.
Just like any other criminal, they fully were aware of the consequences of being caught.
The only difference between this type of crime and any other, is that it is a crime of immigration. And just like any other type of law, if you break it, you must be willing to pay the consequences.
the unfortunate part of it all, it is the children who really have to suffer for the mistakes of their parents.
1 comment:
Actions have consequences.
Question-why does it take 3 years to get a trial date?
Question-why does the MSM feel the need to promote and abet these criminals with a continuous barrage of sympathetic hand wringing?
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