For Christ's Sake!
Just when I think this country is beginning to grow beyond its xenophobic and racist past, an article such as this one punctures my optimism.
A school security officer stopped Karina Acosta, an 18-year-old pregnant Roswell High School senior, and discovered she was in the country illegally. He called federal immigration authorities, who swiftly deported her.
The district superintendent protested and the officer was removed from the school and transferred back to the city Police Department. About three dozen angry students and parents marched on police headquarters -- a notable event in a town not accustomed to controversy -- and were met by a handful of counterdemonstrators who backed the officer.
The schools suffered a sudden drop in attendance as students whose parents were in the country illegally kept them home. The local newspaper was peppered with angry letters to the editor denouncing illegal immigrants. And even two months later, unease permeates the community. [Emphasis added]
Imagine: an 18-year-old, pregnant, in her last year of high school, sent back to Mexico without her family. Then consider this: the action by the Roswell police officer assigned to the school was illegal under a US Supreme Court decision dating back to 1982. Perhaps it would help if I mentioned that his last name was Corn...an unusual last name in New Mexico, which has a huge Hispanic population. Perhaps it would also help if I mentioned (as the article did) that Officer Corn has a history of forcing Latino students to prove they were in the country legally and had at least one other hight school student deported in the past.
His excuse and that of his police chief?
But local police forces like Roswell's are increasingly being pressured to crack down on illegal immigrants.
Pressured by whom? The article doesn't explicity address the question, but quotes several residents who make it clear that they are unhappy that the "illegals" are crowding the classrooms. I'm sure the DHS and INS had nothing to do with it, just as I am sure I can purchase very profitable commercial property in the Everglades.
This is what it has come down to. This is what "compassionate conservativism" has brought us.
Once again, I am deeply ashamed of this country.
A school security officer stopped Karina Acosta, an 18-year-old pregnant Roswell High School senior, and discovered she was in the country illegally. He called federal immigration authorities, who swiftly deported her.
The district superintendent protested and the officer was removed from the school and transferred back to the city Police Department. About three dozen angry students and parents marched on police headquarters -- a notable event in a town not accustomed to controversy -- and were met by a handful of counterdemonstrators who backed the officer.
The schools suffered a sudden drop in attendance as students whose parents were in the country illegally kept them home. The local newspaper was peppered with angry letters to the editor denouncing illegal immigrants. And even two months later, unease permeates the community. [Emphasis added]
Imagine: an 18-year-old, pregnant, in her last year of high school, sent back to Mexico without her family. Then consider this: the action by the Roswell police officer assigned to the school was illegal under a US Supreme Court decision dating back to 1982. Perhaps it would help if I mentioned that his last name was Corn...an unusual last name in New Mexico, which has a huge Hispanic population. Perhaps it would also help if I mentioned (as the article did) that Officer Corn has a history of forcing Latino students to prove they were in the country legally and had at least one other hight school student deported in the past.
His excuse and that of his police chief?
But local police forces like Roswell's are increasingly being pressured to crack down on illegal immigrants.
Pressured by whom? The article doesn't explicity address the question, but quotes several residents who make it clear that they are unhappy that the "illegals" are crowding the classrooms. I'm sure the DHS and INS had nothing to do with it, just as I am sure I can purchase very profitable commercial property in the Everglades.
This is what it has come down to. This is what "compassionate conservativism" has brought us.
Once again, I am deeply ashamed of this country.
Labels: DHS, Immigration, INS
posted by Diane at 1:39 PM
3 Comments:
That part of NM is notoriously white and racist. Unfortunately.
--Mothra
There is no compassionate in conservatism politics. Not unless you have the initials,"Corp." behind your name.
Fascists!
PeasantParty
who loves the blog authors.
there is little doubt in my mind why officer corn was in such a tizzy to get the poor girl deported - the baby would have ben born a u.s. citizen.
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