- Legal procedures WERE followed and now these "illegals"
are trying to fight back.
-
- If we tie the hands of the police who were just doing
their jobs in the first place and turinig over the suspected illegals to
Border Patrol, then we handicap the United States when any illegals, Al-Qeda
or other Muslim terrorists show up at our shopping malls to shop or blow
them up. Enforcement action needs to take place where ever there are people
in large numbers to protect the Americans and visitors who have "legal"
documentation to proove who they are. Illegals from ALL countries "GO
HOME"!
-
- Everyone should call the National City Council (619)336-4235
National City Manager: (619)336-4240 and National City Police Department
(619)336-4500 and show your support for letting their Poilice Officers
do their jobs by reporting suspected "illegals" to Border Patrol.
If the other side wins, this will set a very bad precedent in preventing
local law enforcement from doing their jobs when confronted by "illegals"
in OUR country. If the police can't do their jobs, who will???
-
- John Carman
- <http://www.customscorruption.com/>www.customscorruption.com
-
-
- City Faces Big Claim In Pennys Case
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- By Leslie Wolf Branscomb
- San Diego Union-Tribune
Staff Writer
- 4-15-4
-
- NATIONAL CITY - A family whose members were erroneously
detained for shoplifting at a J.C. Penney store and then deported has filed
a claim for damages against the city. The family of Antonio Flores Noyola
is seeking $1.5 million for emotional distress and attorney's fees stemming
from the Nov. 14 incident at the Plaza Bonita shopping mall.
-
- Flores and five family members were shopping at the department
store when two of them were detained by a store security guard, who suspected
they were shoplifting. A shoplifting ring had been operating in the area.
But, according to attorney Teresa Trucchi, the 36-year-old Flores and his
cousin did not come close to matching the description of the suspect, a
young man with a shaved head. At some point, a National City police officer
became involved, though accounts differ as to whether he was called to
the store or happened to be there already. The family was taken outside
and detained by the officer, who notified the Border Patrol. The two who
did not possess legal immigration documents, Flores' aunt and cousin, were
deported.
-
- Those two are now in Guerrero, Mexico, and the family
has been torn apart, said Christian Ramirez of the American Friends Service
Committee, which is monitoring the case. The incident has become controversial
in National City, where most of the residents are Latino.
-
- The City Council has asked for an investigation, with
Mayor Nick Inzunza maintaining that it is necessary to make as much information
public as possible. The Police Department refused to disclose its reports
on the case, saying the investigation was conducted internally and not
subject to public review.
-
- Last week, the department obtained a court order temporarily
blocking the release of police records to the city. Ramirez said yesterday
that he thought the city's fledgling police review commission should force
the matter. "We've been very concerned that the police review commission
has not taken on the case," Ramirez said. "They've been dragging
their feet on resolving it. We're really frustrated." Ramirez said
he has talked to commission members who say their hands are tied. The commission
lacks the power to issue subpoenas and its relative powerlessness has also
been a topic of debate in City Hall.
-
- Trucchi said her client never wanted to go as far as
filing a legal claim. "He was hoping that everybody would do the right
thing and everything would work out," she said. "But there hasn't
been any real acknowledgment of the fact that what happened was inappropriate.
"It was very clear at that time that they were being detained because
they were Hispanic, and that's not the role of law enforcement." Inzunza
said he believes the city has no liability in the matter. "As far
as us calling the Border Patrol, our police officer at the time was not
prohibited from doing so," Inzunza said. "We've taken aggressive
steps in changing our ordinances so this doesn't occur in the future. "We
just feel we should do everything we can to keep this from happening again.
"I understand what the Flores family is trying to do," Inzunza
added. "I would probably do the same thing."
-
- The Police Department has revised its policy for dealing
with undocumented immigrants, at the City Council's request. Police spokesman
Jose Tellez said the policy now clarifies the circumstances under which
immigration officials may be called. The Flores claim, filed April 7, asks
for a maximum of $250,000 for each Flores family member. The claim is not
yet on the City Council's agenda. Such claims are routinely denied by cities,
paving the way for a lawsuit to be filed. Trucchi said the Flores family
is willing to sue. "I think for every Antonio Flores this happens
to, it has probably happened to 50 others," Trucchi said. "If
you just walk away and do nothing, nothing is going to change."
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