[Onthebarricades] US: Protests in Irving over deportation programme, racial profiling

[Andy]

http://www.star-telegram.com/629/story/248767.html

Deportations lead to protest
By PATRICK McGEE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

STAR-TELEGRAM / STEWART F. HOUSE
Anna Maria Negrete of Irving, left, holds a corner of the United States flag at a demonstration on the steps of Irving City Hall protesting the deportation of illegal immigrants. 
 
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IRVING -- Shouting matches and a few scuffles punctuated a boisterous demonstration Wednesday against the city's Criminal Alien Program, which has led to more than 1,000 deportations this year.

About two dozen counterdemonstrators waded into a crowd of thousands at City Hall. Soon people were screaming at each other, and police escorted some counterprotesters away.

Sgt. Jack Page said two counterprotesters, a brother and sister in their 60s, were arrested on suspicion of assault. He said one scratched a demonstrator and another grabbed a demonstrator by the throat.

Carlos Quintanilla organized the protest against the police program, in which officials screen all inmates for possible referral to federal immigration authorities. He urged the crowd to boycott Irving businesses and to call the mayor to demand an end to deportations.

About 2,000 people formed a ring around him. Fierce arguments erupted in their ranks, mostly breaking down along Anglo-Hispanic lines.

"Hey let's chant, 'Don't break the law' because they're chanting something in Spanish," one counterprotester told others in his vastly outnumbered group.

They started the chant but were soon drowned out by loud boos.

One woman reached up and tried to swat down a pro-Irving sign. When police escorted a few of counterprotesters away, a demonstrator yelled, "Fuera! Fuera!" or "Out! Out!" in Spanish.

That chant soon became a mantra of the night as more were escorted away.

One man turned and gave the demonstrators the finger as police took him out of the crowd. Others stood their ground and argued face-to-face at length.

Racial profiling alleged

According to Irving police, 1,373 people have been turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, this year, leading the Mexican and Salvadoran consulates and Hispanic activists to cry foul and accuse the city of racial profiling.

Only about four illegal immigrants were identified in the city jail a month before the Criminal Alien Program began in September 2006, according to information Police Chief Larry Boyd gave the City Council.

About 52 a month were being identified when the program started, and up to 130 were identified per month by April, according to the chief. Mayor Herbert Gears said up to 300 a month have been identified in recent months.

City and police officials have denied that they are engaging in racial profiling and said that all people arrested in the city are screened for possible referral to ICE when they are booked into jail.

Gears said most of the people turned over to ICE were arrested on suspicion of driving without licenses. Quintanilla and other activists said Hispanics and their neighborhoods are being targeted.

Demonstrators echoed his sentiments with cheers and signs. "I feel the Irving police are making a huge mistake with racially profiling Hispanic people here," said Stacey Ponce, 22, of Irving. "I know people who have been stopped for like a broken headlight or something, and then they're taken to jail." Counterprotesters argued that the policy has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the law. "Let's take the focus off of racism," said John Spencer, a 35-year-old counterprotester from Irving. "And let's not forget what the word illegal means. That's what my point was from the beginning."

Patrick McGee, 817-685-3806
pmcgee at star-telegram.com
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