Federal agency, Providence [RI] police at odds over immigration checks
Posted by: Random-American in Crime, Illegal Immigration/Border Security, Politics*sigh*
From ProJo.com:
A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that the Providence Police Department dropped the ball last year when it twice arrested a man, now suspected of rape, for other crimes and failed to check on his status as an illegal immigrant who had been ordered deported.
The Providence [RI] police counter that they passed the information about the arrests of Marco Riz, 26, of Providence, to the local ICE office, but the federal agency didn’t bother taking any action to have him sent back to Guatemala.
…
Providence police records show that Riz was arrested twice last year on charges of drunken driving and domestic assault.
On Sept. 12, in the city’s West End, Riz was charged with driving under the influence of liquor and drugs, refusing a chemical breath test for alcohol and driving with a suspended license. He was held overnight at the police station and arraigned the next day in District Court.
He pleaded no contest to driving under the influence, first offense, and had his license suspended for three months. He also was ordered to perform 10 hours of community service and attend classes on alcohol education.
On Feb. 24, Riz was involved in a drunken brawl with three other men inside his apartment at 71 Linwood Ave. in the West End. He was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic assault for striking one of the men. The charge was dismissed two weeks later.
The status of Riz’s immigration slipped past the Providence police, state court system and ICE. The Providence police speculate that Riz may have fallen through the cracks because ICE no longer has an immigration officer assigned to District Court. He retired about a year ago.
On June 8, the police allege that Riz kidnapped a 30-year-old woman as she sat in the passenger seat of an idling SUV in the parking lot of a Stop & Shop supermarket on Quaker Lane in Warwick. Riz is accused of robbing the woman, driving her to Roger Williams Park and raping her there. A few days later, a task force of Providence, Warwick, ICE, state police and federal marshals captured Riz on Linwood Avenue. He has been charged with kidnapping, carjacking, assault with a dangerous weapon, a knife, first-degree robbery and first-degree sexual assault. He has been ordered held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions.
Sheesh. I know that the overwhelming majority of ICE and law enforcement are doing the very best they can, with the tools and resources they have. They really dropped the ball on this one though, and it doesn’t help that they seem to just be saying ‘oops, my bad.’ And, c’mon…Politicians?…Enough already. Give the authorities what they need to effectively do their jobs.
Secure the borders. Enforce the laws. Stop the madness.
I know, I know…illegal aliens are just here to work…yadda, yadda…
(hat tip: MM)
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