AZMEX I3 25 OCT 2013
Tucson protesters to fight felony charges with deportees' accounts
Defendant Steve Johnson reads to those attending a news conference at
the Pima County Public Defender's Office. The group announced two
hotlines to locate people who were recently detained in Operation
Streamline.
8 hours ago • By Carli Brosseau Arizona Daily Star12
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/tucson-protesters-to-fight-
felony-charges-with-deportees-accounts/
article_3e01733e-1e67-5d4e-8ed7-0f66e7aa4952.html
Activists who stymied a day's immigration proceedings in Tucson
earlier this month by chaining themselves to a detainee transport bus
have announced the first step in their legal defense: a pair of
hotline numbers.
The protesters — 18 of whom now face a possible felony charge of
hindering prosecution — held a news conference Thursday because they
hope to locate each of the 70 detainees believed to be aboard the
buses they stopped Oct. 11.
Activists seek to record the detainees' testimonies to bolster their
defense. They also plan to use the accounts to advance their
political campaign against Operation Streamline, a fast-track
prosecution program created to discourage migration by giving prison
sentences and a criminal record to those apprehended at the border.
Up to 70 people are processed each day through the program in Tucson.
Most are charged with the misdemeanor of illegal entry and the felony
of illegal re-entry, and they plead down to the lesser charge, which
carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison. The entire
proceeding takes place in a single day.
Activists lament the effects the program has had on families, many of
which have members of different legal statuses.
Paula Miller, an activist who works at Casa Mariposa, a home that
helps those coming out of immigration detention, cites the personal
stories of migrants for spurring her to protest.
"I heard the stories of so many families separated," she said.
"It's something I think we all can relate to. At some point, you
have to say enough."
The U.S. hotline is 888-203-7377. The Mexico hotline is 800-099-0425.
The charges the protesters face are still in initial stages and
represent the recommendation of police.
The allegations against the 18 are expected to go before a grand jury
by Oct. 31, said Margo Cowan, a migrant-rights activist and public
defender representing some of the protesters.
A decision on prosecution has not been made and the case is under
review, a spokeswoman for the Pima County Attorney's Office said
Thursday.
The Federal Protective Service, which provides security for federal
buildings, detained six other protesters Oct. 11.
They were cited with disorderly conduct on federal property and
released the same day.
The service would release no further details. and a Washington, D.C.,
spokeswoman for the agency declined to comment on the record.
Activists protesting Operation Streamline in other cities, including
Phoenix, have also been cited and released by Federal Protective
Service officers.
Most of the detainees on the buses stopped in Tucson have since been
deported without being criminally prosecuted, officials said.
Up to nine were prosecuted through Operation Streamline the Monday
after the protest.
END
PRESS RELEASES
http://www.azdps.gov/Media/News/View/?p=446&utm_content=landis%
40asrpa.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http
%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eazdps%2Egov%2FMedia%2FNews%2FView%2F%3Fp%
3D446&utm_campaign=Operator%20Of%20Stash%20House%20Sentenced%20To%
2097%20Months
Operator Of Human Stash House Sentenced To 97 Months
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 -
PHOENIX– On Oct. 21, 2013, Diego DeLeon Chavez, 26, of Mexico, was
sentenced by U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 97 months of
incarceration and five years of supervised release. Chavez pleaded
guilty on July 25, 2013, to conspiracy to harbor and transport
illegal aliens, resulting in death, after two Guatemalan nationals
whom Chavez's operation was transporting were killed in a rollover
crash.
During the month of July 2012, Chavez operated a human stash house in
Phoenix where he harbored illegal aliens. Chavez coordinated the
receipt of smuggling fees and the transportation of illegal aliens to
other parts of the United States. The two victims died at the scene
of the rollover crash from injuries they sustained when they were
ejected from the vehicle. Thirteen illegal aliens inside the vehicle
survived the crash, including the driver, Israel Velasquez, and his
co-driver, who has not been identified. Velasquez, fled from the
scene of the crash,but was apprehended by law enforcement four days
later outside another human stash house in Phoenix. On July 25, 2013,
Velasquez also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor and transport
illegal aliens, resulting in death, and is pending sentencing.
The investigation in this case was conducted by U.S. Immigration
andCustoms Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations and
the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Illegal Immigration
PreventionApprehension Co-op Team and Highway Patrol. The prosecution
was handled by Kristen Brook and Lisa E. Jennis, Assistant U.S.
Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
END
11 immigrants found in woman's car in Arizona
By Associated Press
Originally published: Oct 22, 2013 - 3:42 pm
http://www.ktar.com/22/1671662/11-immigrants-found-in-womans-car-in-
Arizona
MARICOPA, Ariz. -- A woman from Mexico has been arrested after Pinal
County authorities found 11 immigrants believed to be in the country
illegally in her vehicle.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that 29-year-old
Janette Salido-Hernandez was also carrying more than 45 pounds of
marijuana in her Ford Explorer when she was stopped near Maricopa on
Friday.
Sheriff Paul Babeu says Salido-Hernandez claimed she didn't know the
marijuana was in her car and that she had stopped to try to help the
stranded group.
However, according to Babeu, Salido-Hernandez accepted $300 to take
them to Phoenix.
Salido-Hernandez, who only had a Mexico driver's license, was booked
on drug-related charges and turned over Monday to U.S. Border Patrol.
The 11 passengers were also transferred to border officials for
processing.
end
No comments:
Post a Comment