Federal raid triggers Chicago protest- "It looked like they were marching into Iraq."

[babylonsister]

The jackboots are here? Shades of another era?

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=upiUPI-20070425-112127-7518R&show_article=1&catnum=0


Federal raid triggers Chicago protest
Apr 25 01:01 PM US/Eastern


CHICAGO, April 25 (UPI) -- Residents of a predominately Hispanic Chicago neighborhood took to the streets in protest after heavily armed U.S. immigration agents raided businesses.

"Soldiers bombarded our neighborhood," Baltazar Enriquez told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It looked like they were marching into Iraq."

Heavily armed federal officers in bullet-proof vests, locked down a strip mall Tuesday in a Southwest Side neighborhood known as Little Village, Enriquez said. The raid triggered a protest of 250 to 300 people that lasted into the evening, the newspaper said.

The federal agents were searching for sellers of fake Social Security and resident alien green cards, authorities said, refusing to say how many people were arrested in the search.

Those arrested were to appear in federal court Wednesday. Neighborhood activists said the raid may have been to intimidate people from participating in a downtown May 1 march and rally to protest recent federal raids nationwide, the Chicago Tribune said.


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[NorthernSpy]

1. thing is, I don't WANT people selling fake Social Security and resident alien cards...

"Soldiers bombarded our neighborhood," Baltazar Enriquez told the Chicago Sun-Times.

:eyes:


They're not soldiers, no "bombardment" occurred, and if you're here illegally it's not your neighborhood in the first place.


This was a legitimate and necessary act of law enforcement. Unless you think identity theft and forging Social Security documents are good for America.

[babylonsister]

2. It's the tactics I question; I don't really like the idea of people being

swept away by thugs in raids. Innocent people tend to get killed that way.
If they knew someone was violating something, go after that individual. I'm not a fan of blanket sweeps.
Next time that could be one of us for whatever trumped up reason.

[HereSince1628]

3. The Feds should also be able to report the number arrested

and the names. This isn't the Soviet Union or a South American dictatorship, even though the Cheney admin appears to be trying to get us to look a lot like those models.

[babylonsister]

5. Thank you. I don't think this tactic should ever be approved of.

It really does remind me of documentaries I've seen from WWII. :scared:

[gratuitous]

4. They weren't marching into Iraq

They were marching into an unarmed conclave of people they knew wouldn't resist with anywhere near the force being brought to bear on them. That makes for some pretty brave immigration agents.

And remember, they're not busting anyone for a violent crime here. They're not going after ruthless gang lords who rule the streets of their neighborhoods through violence and terror. They're raiding businesses looking for folks selling fake IDs. Conveniently one week before a scheduled rally to protest such heavy-handed tactics.

[babylonsister]

6. When you put it that way, it's even worse.

I applaud them for protesting.

[annabanana]

7. Whose neighborhood will they storm into next?

And on what pretext?

The first drop down a windowpane has the hardest journey. The ones that follow just stream right down.