April 23, 2004

Immigration horrors - now routine. "The doors of the small bungalow in Watts were chained and the windows covered with metal bars and plywood. Inside, about 110 barefoot and no doubt frightened men, women and children waited for their relatives to deliver ransom money, as much as $9,000 each, that would free them from the immigrant-smugglers, the coyotes, who held them under guard. The chain of misery was disrupted Wednesday by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, tipped by one immigrant who had got out. Most of the illegal immigrants are in custody. The smugglers got away. Was this an exceptional event .. Apparently not. Commenting on the raid, local law enforcement officials said that, other than the large number of people in the house, there was nothing unusual except that most such houses and human smuggling rings go without federal notice ...

The victims include not just the people in such houses but cities like Los Angeles, the gateway and often destination for waves of immigrants. It is a problem that can be addressed only by the federal government, which is, as Los Angeles City Council member Janice Hahn put it, "turning a blind eye." .. ". More - "Broken Immigration Policy". Posted by Greg Ransom | TrackBack