30 Kids Left Behind After Immigration Raid

[concord160]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050729/...rests_children

30 Kids Left Behind After Immigration Raid By MELISSA NELSON, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jul 29, 7:32 PM ET



ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - About 30 children, some as young as 3 months old, were left without their parents after immigration agents raided a poultry plant and took the parents away to face possible deportation.

While some of the arrested workers were able to call and arrange care for their children, others were not and a local church had to help make arrangements.

The mayor said what happened to the children was a shame.

"A lot of those families had kids in day care in different places, and they didn't know why Mommy and Daddy didn't come pick them up," Arkadelphia Mayor Charles Hollingshead said.

Federal agents arrested 119 people Tuesday in a raid that was triggered after a former worker at Petit Jean Poultry said she supplied others with fake identification cards. Authorities said 115 were from Mexico, two were from Honduras and the others were from El Salvador and Guatemala.

Temple Black, a spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in New Orleans, said Friday that each person arrested was asked whether they had children and they all said they did not.

"We interviewed every person and asked that specific question, and we were told that there were none," he said.

Black later said that some of those arrested told agents that their children were with relatives. Children are normally placed with relatives until their parents are either returned to the community or deported.

Jose Luis Vidal said his sister and brother-in-law left behind children aged 10, 5 and 1 as they were deported to Laredo, Mexico.

"The children are very sad, especially the baby. She cries all the time," Vidal said in an interview conducted in Spanish.

His sister is trying to arrange a work permit to return to the United States, but is not sure of her prospects.

Clark County Sheriff Troy Tucker said agents failed to tell his agency about the raid. If they had, deputies would have made sure the immigration officials knew about the children, some of whom had been in the local public schools for years, he said.

"The kids were just left," Tucker said. "They're not doing their job by simply questioning them and asking them whether they have children and not contacting anyone locally."

Some of the workers agreed to deportation and others have challenged their arrests. Those fighting deportation were released pending hearings and some have returned to Arkadelphia.

[Jeff L]

That's a touchy situation. Those kids definately didn't commit any crime, someone definately should have arranged for their care.

[MisterK]

I lay this one on the parents. If you dont tell us you have kids.. we wont know theyre here and they wont get fed... f'ing duh.

[ICEGrrl]

I lay this one on the parents. If you dont tell us you have kids.. we wont know theyre here

Exactly. We do raids & never ever leave kids behind alone. The only way we ever would is the same reason as above. We can't read minds! :mad:

[SPEtactical]

Why do raids? I can find you over a hundred illegal aliens on a daily basis and I will ensure that the kids are cared for; nevertheless, If I call federal authorities they are never interested. I guess no one likes free fish, they would rather go fishing for themselves. :rolleyes:

It also would not require all the resources I imagine were used in this single raid.

[MOCOP]

The ICE Office in my area is generally pretty good about excepting our Aliens. But I know of others that unless you have at least ten or one charged with felonies then don't even bother. Same with juvies. Don't bother.

[w1zard]

But I know of others that unless you have at least ten or one charged with felonies then don't even bother. Same with juvies. Don't bother.

so then what...?

[Sleuth]

Allow me to observe that I arrested a gal, interviewed her, and 4 hours after the original contact she finally mentioned that she had left her 1 year old in the care of her 5 year old. Tribal police became unglued, and charged her with child abuse. I think she lost custody of the kids - and she should have!

[matt87]

Oh yeah I live in Arkansas and in todays news paper they had an article where one of the females who was deported in this raid is now back in Arkansas with her kids, which she has two of, and shes also pregnant and recieviing prenatal care.

[MisterK]

wow, thats just enough to make you feel warm and fuzzy...

[m19ark]

I dont know much about immigration laws, but can a person stay in the country if they have a US born child? I was in the customs line at the airport about a month ago and I was really annoyed at this woman who barely spoke english but still had 6 children all with US birth certificates. They were all over the place, yelling and throwing papers off the counter. I wanted to smack a few of them, especially the mother. Oh and there was no father, just a mother and 6 children holding up the line.

[matt87]

m19ark thats an interesting question and I would like to know as well. Since ICE removed the parents in the raid knowing they had children (some children were taken elsewhere) I would think that no, just having a child born here doesn't grant you legal citizenship, but it's not like it matters much anyway.

[MOCOP]

The child is a Citizen by birth. The parents are still illegal. But once the child is 21 they can petetion for entry for there parents.