Photo: Courtesy of Raquel Barrios
San Diego County Deputy Laura Wyland made traffic stop that ended in deportation of family
By H. Nelson Goodson
November 23, 2010
Escondido, California - On November 5th, San Diego County Deputy Laura Wyland made a traffic stop after a driver made an illegal turn in front of her vehicle and almost hit her. Deputy Wyland who is assigned to the Escondido area was on patrol when the incident occurred.
Deputy Wyland stopped Minerva Santos, 28, who was driving and asked her for a driver's license and insurance. Santos told Wyland she didn't have a license or insurance, then Deputy Wyland requested to see legal documentation. Santos could not provide legal documentation and Wyland asked Alejandrina Santos, 44, (grandmother) and Nadia Santos, 9, (Minerva's daugther) for documents. None of them had legal documents to be in the U.S. Minerva was driving her sick daugther Nadia to a medical center to seek treatment.
Wyland call the U.S. Border Patrol in the area and detained the family until Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrived. Deputy Wyland pad down all three of them and handcuffed both Minerva and Alejandrina. Nydia was told to keep her hands behind her.
Minerva was able to call Raquel Barrios a friend to led her know about the stop. Barrios showed up with a video camera and recorded the incident. After Minerva and her family were taken by ICE, she went to Minerva's family and told them what had happened. Minerva has two other daughters, Esther, 12, and Elizabeth, 10.
In less than an hour after her arrest, Minerva decided not to challenge deportation and voluntarily signed her deportation, including the family, according to ICE. Minerva, Alejandrina and Nadia were deported and ended up in Tijuana. Minerva has been in the U.S. for eight years. They later returned to the state of Guerrero in Mexico where they are originally from. Her other two daughters remain in the U.S. with Alejandrina's husband.
Spokesperson for the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, Lt. Mike Cea stated, it's an unfortunate incident, but Deputy Wyland was acting properly under the departments policy in dealing with undocumented immigrants.
Immigrant rights groups in California believe otherwise, they say Minerva Santos should have been cited and vehicle impounded for a minor infraccion and they should have been released, instead of being briefly detained for ICE. Local law enforcement officers are helping to detain immigrants illegally in the country, despite minor offenses.
Previously, ICE and local enforcement agencies were only detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants with serious and felony convictions. If anyone is detained more than an hour without being arrested, the act could be considered illegal, according to immigrant rights groups.
Video of arrest by ICE and San Diego County Sheriff Deputy Laura Wyland of Minerva Santos and family posted at Internet link: http://bit.ly/ghuarN
Connected by MOTOBLUR™ on T-Mobile
San Diego County Deputy Laura Wyland made traffic stop that ended in deportation of family
By H. Nelson Goodson
November 23, 2010
Escondido, California - On November 5th, San Diego County Deputy Laura Wyland made a traffic stop after a driver made an illegal turn in front of her vehicle and almost hit her. Deputy Wyland who is assigned to the Escondido area was on patrol when the incident occurred.
Deputy Wyland stopped Minerva Santos, 28, who was driving and asked her for a driver's license and insurance. Santos told Wyland she didn't have a license or insurance, then Deputy Wyland requested to see legal documentation. Santos could not provide legal documentation and Wyland asked Alejandrina Santos, 44, (grandmother) and Nadia Santos, 9, (Minerva's daugther) for documents. None of them had legal documents to be in the U.S. Minerva was driving her sick daugther Nadia to a medical center to seek treatment.
Wyland call the U.S. Border Patrol in the area and detained the family until Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrived. Deputy Wyland pad down all three of them and handcuffed both Minerva and Alejandrina. Nydia was told to keep her hands behind her.
Minerva was able to call Raquel Barrios a friend to led her know about the stop. Barrios showed up with a video camera and recorded the incident. After Minerva and her family were taken by ICE, she went to Minerva's family and told them what had happened. Minerva has two other daughters, Esther, 12, and Elizabeth, 10.
In less than an hour after her arrest, Minerva decided not to challenge deportation and voluntarily signed her deportation, including the family, according to ICE. Minerva, Alejandrina and Nadia were deported and ended up in Tijuana. Minerva has been in the U.S. for eight years. They later returned to the state of Guerrero in Mexico where they are originally from. Her other two daughters remain in the U.S. with Alejandrina's husband.
Spokesperson for the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, Lt. Mike Cea stated, it's an unfortunate incident, but Deputy Wyland was acting properly under the departments policy in dealing with undocumented immigrants.
Immigrant rights groups in California believe otherwise, they say Minerva Santos should have been cited and vehicle impounded for a minor infraccion and they should have been released, instead of being briefly detained for ICE. Local law enforcement officers are helping to detain immigrants illegally in the country, despite minor offenses.
Previously, ICE and local enforcement agencies were only detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants with serious and felony convictions. If anyone is detained more than an hour without being arrested, the act could be considered illegal, according to immigrant rights groups.
Video of arrest by ICE and San Diego County Sheriff Deputy Laura Wyland of Minerva Santos and family posted at Internet link: http://bit.ly/ghuarN
Connected by MOTOBLUR™ on T-Mobile
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