ACLU Sues NM Sheriffs for Targeting Immigrants

Carolyn Hileman* | October 21, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - The ACLU and three other organizations have filed lawsuits against the sheriff’s department in Otero County, N.M., for violating the civil rights of Latinos during immigration sweeps in September. They claim the officers raided homes without search warrants and interrogated families without evidence of criminal activity. “Otero County sheriffs broke a basic bond of trust with the community” in the town of Chaparral, ACLU Executive Director Peter Simonson told Cybercast News Service on Thursday. “We need to restore policing to its proper mission so citizens and immigrants alike can trust that someone is watching out for their safety.” “The enforcement of immigration laws is strictly a responsibility of the federal government,” stated David Urias, staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund. Sheriff’s deputies “do not have the authority or the training to investigate or arrest people because they suspect them of being undocumented.” Full Story

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