October 26, 2007

ACLU, Leslie Berestein, Amy Isackson defending looters because they're illegal aliens

On Wednesday, an alleged group of looters were arrested at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego; it was claimed that they were collecting supplies meant for the victims of the recent wild fires in order to resell them. Apparently one or more admitted they were stealing, and one person said it was for resale. Some were illegal aliens; when that was suspected the San Diego Police called the Border Patrol who then deported a few of them. A few others have been released.

The exact details, and everyone who was involved, isn't clear at this time (and probably never will be). However, one thing is crystal clear: Amy Isackson of NPR/KPBS, Leslie Berestein of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and the ACLU will reflexively support illegal aliens and try to prevent them from being deported. And, they'll ignore the fact that they've been charged with stealing supplies from fire victims.

First, here's Berestein with "Border Patrol presence at stadium causes anxiety" (link):

The apprehension and removal to Mexico of two couples, one with three children, after they were accused of looting at Qualcomm Stadium Wednesday has created unease among some of the Latino evacuees staying there... Andrea Guerrero, field and policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union in San Diego, said about 25 families who were staying at the stadium left after the incident because they were undocumented, or of mixed legal status... Guerrero said the police department should not have called Border Patrol agents, some of whom are stationed at the stadium assisting other law enforcement officers, unless formal criminal charges were filed. [SDPD spokeswoman Monica Munoz], however, said the department did not violate protocol and that the accused individuals admitted to stealing. [...one of the deported illegal aliens says she wasn't stealing...]

And, here's the similar "Arrest of Six Illegal Immigrants at Qualcomm Raises Concerns" from Isackson (link):

The arrest of six illegal immigrants at the Qualcomm Stadium evacuation site yesterday raises questions regarding how San Diego Police handle immigration issues. Civil rights activists are concerned police may be violating their own policy with respect to the Border Patrol... Kevin Keenan is Executive Director of the ACLU. He says he hopes police can resolve the discrepancy [vis-a-vis a sanctuary-style policy]...

For a point of reference, here's Gillian Flaccus of the Associated Press with "Thieves and scam artists try to take advantage of SoCal fires" (link):

At the stadium, volunteer Karen Huff said she and other volunteers alerted police earlier this week when they spotted a half-dozen people loading two pickup trucks with relief items. Police confronted the thieves and recovered the goods... "Thousands of dollars worth of stuff was being taken from these victims," Huff said. "It's the worst type of crime you can commit, when you take advantage of a situation like this." ...The Border Patrol detained eight people Wednesday who were suspected of stealing cots, blankets and dry goods, said San Diego police Capt. Bob Kanaski. Police officers questioned 15 people who were suspected of filling up two trucks and a sedan with stolen property and brought in the Border Patrol after surmising that some were illegal immigrants. The other seven were released... ...Authorities said some charlatans were coming to the disbursement center up to four or five times a day to stock up on supplies.

When even the AP is less biased, you've got a problem.

Posted to Immigration2007b at October 26, 2007 12:24 PM