ACLU hits Texas sheriff for enforcing the law

June 21, 2006

The American Civil Liberties Union, or the A.C.L.U. is after the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, this time for enforcing the law. The A.C.L.U., says the Sheriff's Office took federal law into their own hands after getting a tip about a group of undocumented immigrants.

‘That is a very, very serious violation of what they're been claiming not to do, which is enforce immigration law,' says Ray Ybarra, ACLU of Texas.

An April email says that a Border Patrol agent was 'disturbed' over deputies being at the location with the immigrants. It goes on to say that Sheriff's Deputies were told to 'call Border Patrol who would in turn call ICE if they deemed it necessary.'

'This Sheriff is engaging in immigration enforcement, and then as an after thought calling in the INS,' says Will Harrell, Executive Director, ACLU of Texas. The ACLU says this type of incident has a long lasting effect on the community.

'People are afraid to walk their kids...because they think the sheriff's deputies will be out asking for documents...and if people are afraid to leave their houses then that's a huge human rights issue,' says Ybarra.

The spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office was not available for comment.