And so, it begins:
PHOENIX – A Valley man says he was pulled over Wednesday morning and questioned when he arrived at a weigh station for his commercial vehicle along Val Vista and the 202 freeway.
Abdon, who did not want to use his last name, says he provided several key pieces of information but what he provided apparently was not what was needed.
He tells 3TV, “I don’t think it’s correct, if I have to take my birth certificate with me all the time.”
3TV caught up with Abdon after he was released from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in central Phoenix. He and his wife, Jackie, are still upset about what happened to him.
Jackie tells 3TV, “It’s still something awful to be targeted. I can’t even imagine what he felt, people watching like he was some type of criminal.”
Abdon was told he did not have enough paperwork on him when he pulled into a weigh station to have his commercial truck checked. He provided his commercial driver’s license and a social security number but ended up handcuffed.
An agent called his wife and she had to leave work to drive home and grab other documents like his birth certificate.
Jackie explains, “I have his social security card as well and mine. He’s legit. It’s the first time it’s ever happened.”
Both were born in the United States and say they are now both infuriated that keeping important documents safely at home is no longer an option.
Gee, I would think so.
Take note that this is not even connected to the immigration law that just went into effect in Arizona, but just ask yourself what it’s going to be like when this incident is multiplied thousands of times in cities across The Grand Canyon State.
I don’t know about you, but this isn’t the America I recognize.
Video:
CDLs, SSNs and Green Card #s are computerized and readily available to law enforcement agencies. At most, this should have been a pull-over stop for 20 minutes. The AZ state DA has to establish professional procedures for the police so that this situation does not happen thousands of times daily.
chsw
Two important things need to happen immediately:
1) Arizona needs to be economically boycotted. No tourism, no doing business with Arizona based companies, and no doing business with Arizona local and state government vendors. Arizona apparently has not suffered enough in the current recession.
2) President Obama needs to sign an Executive Order barring any Federal dollars to be sent to state and local law enforcement and homeland security functions in Arizona. In addition, President Obama needs to make it very clear if this law is not changed by the Arizona state government, more Federal dollars will be taken away from the state.
Arizona has thrown down the most serious challenge to the Federal government since the Civil Rights Era and President Obama needs to meet these modern day George Wallaces and Bull Connors.
I thought the law didn’t go into effect until July or August. Are the police down there getting a tad trigger happy?
This was apparently an action by ICE
ICE detains US citizens on a regular basis. And for a lot more than a few hours.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-07-27/news/17218849_1_judy-rabinovitz-immigration-laws-illegal-immigrant
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2008/01/24/25392/immigration-officials-detaining.html
They don’t need the Arizona law to be foolish.
I’ve never understood conservatives who back ICE or make excuses for the agency who are so critical about almost all other government activities.
Uh, sounds like Arizona has nothing to do with it.
BTW, Doug, based upon these statements, can we assume that you opposed Chairman Stewart’s efforts in PWC, and feared similar “outrages”?
And if so, how many lawsuits have you filed on behalf of clients/have been filed successfully challenging a similar local measure?
None, you say?
Hmm. Beginning to sound a lot like the Chicken Littles who warn of “Dodge City on a Saturday night” when states pass concealed-carry laws.
I specifically said it had nothing to do with the Arizona law, James.
You are apparently okay with living in a country where people can be detained for not carrying their birth certificate.
I am not.
[...] truck driver, born in the United States, detained for four hours last weekend. In Arizona BTW, but ICE was the one [...]
Wow – way to jump to conclusions based on facts not in evidence.
It could be that he didn’t have the correct paperwork for his job, or it could it be that his name and dob popped up a warrant or immigration issue.
Happens all the time. The name and DOB the guy gives comes back as a match to an alias used by someone else. Until there is proof that this guy isn’t the person listed on the warrant he is going to be staying in custody.
In response to #9 by Jane W:
The original report SAYS “Abdon, who did not want to use his last name, says he provided several key pieces of information but what he provided apparently was not what was needed”…
…and since he was detained until his wife provided his birth certificate, one would presume THAT was “the correct paperwork”, and that his truck log was already provided and was not the cause of his detention.
Way to jump to conclusions based on facts that ARE in evidence.