Racial profiling alleged in crackdown; officials say Hispanics not targeted....

     Another article in one of my local newspapers Friday February 9, 2007.

     "Gov. Rick Perry's office pitched "Operation Wrangler" to the public as a statewide crackdown on cross-border criminals - gang members and smugglers of drugs and humans. Illegal immigrants were not targets, officials said."
     Is it any more right for dozens of illegal immigrants to be crammed in the back of a truck, with no way out and then left to die?  Is it fair they and their families are being scalped for thousands of dollars all for the sake of illegally entering our country? These people are not second class citizens, they are human beings.
     "But immigration agents were not far away while police worked the operation. An immigration official said the agency set up "deportation and removal" sites and questioned immigrants on police officers' cellphones after some traffic stops. At least one hundred thirty seven people were returned to Mexico from North Texas during the weeklong operation."
     "The hand-in-glove collaboration between local and federal agents won applause from advocates of stronger immigration enforcement, who called it a pragmatic way of dealing with a growing problem."
     "Some civil liberties groups, meanwhile, said they were frightened by the ways that the joint operation weakened the already blurry line between public safety and personal freedom."
       Now I an confused. Whose public safety and whose personal freedom? I am not sure if stopping the flow of traffic is exactly the brightest plan to act upon, but we have to start somewhere, right? How do they know if everyone they are stopping are illegal immigrants? What if some of the people they are pulling over are legal citizens?
      The law requires probable cause before arrests are made. Yet, these people have disrespected and blantantly ignored our laws by crossing the border, didn't they?
     "Under state law, sworn officers are forbidden to ask about immigration status unless they have had specialized training." Well, maybe so, but under the law these people are breaking it, right?
     "Jose Alfredo Gonzalez, 18, a former resident of Grand Prairie, said he and three other construction workers were sent back to Mexico after they were stopped on Interstate 20 east of Dallas on January 22, 2007. Mr. Gonzalez said an officer stopped the vehicle for speeding, which they deny doing. "
      Now, I must ask, are the police going to pay a visit to the owner of the construction site and ticket him for hiring illegals?  Will our government sanction him and perhaps put him out of business? Isn't he breaking laws as well? Shame on him and other employers like him.
      Shame on all of the American citizens who hire illegal immigrants to mow their lawns, tend to their gardening, take care of their children, do their laundry, do their house cleaning, paint their buildings and houses, should I go on. It all must stop and stop now.
     "The governor's office has said only that the operation involved ninety sheriff's offices and one hundred thirty three police departments, along with state troopers and other agencies, whose goal was to provide a law enforcement "surge" that would disrupt human smuggling and drug traffic."
      Well, I would say as long as the officers and others were doing their jobs to the letter of the laws there should not be any problems. At least they are trying to act on this problem. I realize that some are calling this racial profiling, but I just do not see it that way.
     I would also hope that they will extend the same curtesy to all who are here illegally regardless of what country they come from. I say it is about time law enforcement and immigration officials began working together. Maybe, just maybe we can begin taking control of our country again.
     I just cannot help but think, what if the shoe were on the other foot?  What if we, American citizens, began sneaking into Mexico and other countries in South America. What do you think would happen to us?
     What do you think would happen if we marched on the government seats of these countries demanding our rights! How far do you think we would get?

(K)