ASSOCIATED PRESS

October 7, 2007

Immigration raids drawing protests

GARDEN CITY, N.Y.— Long Island officials complained loudly this week about a series of immigration raids, accusing federal agents of a “cowboy mentality” that could have put local police in harm’s way.

The attack on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency was so sharp that a congressman stepped in to try and broker a peace.

But such complaints are becoming increasingly common, with local officials from Nevada to Nassau County saying they are fed up with the federal war on illegal immigration.

“Think of some of the people who were arrested and picked up — they have children,” said Reno, Nev., Mayor Bob Cashell after 54 suspected illegal workers were arrested. “They don’t know where their mama or their daddy is. That’s not right.”

David Leopold, a Cleveland lawyer and member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s task force on ICE raids, also criticized the immigration sweeps. “How on earth is local law enforcement supposed to deal with a scared citizenry? This new policy of immigration reform by law enforcement is going to wreak havoc on our communities, wreak havoc on our economy.”

More than 1,300 criminal illegal immigrants were rounded up during sweeps in Southern California during the past two weeks.

U.S. immigration agents have also raided industrial facilities in recent months, including meatpacking plants, egg farms and a leather factory in New Bedford, Mass.

In New Haven, Conn., officials and immigrant advocates criticized ICE raids in June, saying constitutional rights and government policies were violated.

They contended the raids appeared to be in retaliation for the city’s new identification card program for illegal immigrants.

Farmers in upstate New York blame a growing immigrant farm labor shortage on a dramatic rise in immigration enforcement.

On Long Island, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and his police commissioner lashed out at the federal agency, declaring they would no longer cooperate in enforcement actions because they felt misled by their colleagues.