As usual, Reuters gets it wrong. These weren't "immigration raids". They were "illegal-immigration raids".

In a related note, California bank robbers are also fearful after police arrested a large number of them in Los Angeles, too. The only difference is, the bank robbers aren't pretending the police are the ones doing something wrong.

BTW, are ALL Calif. latinos worried by these raids that arrested illegal aliens? If a latino guy didn't enter the country illegally, why exactly is he worrying? The cops' job IS to arrest people who broke the law, is it not?

When the cops arrest lots of bank robbers, do the people who DIDN'T rob banks, get worried too? I didn't rob a bank, and the cops don't worry me.

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http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...1_%5bFeed%5d-5

California Latinos fearful after immigration raids

Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:13pm ET
by Tim Gaynor

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Cook Rosa Maria Salazar's eyes dart anxiously to the door as customers file into the Salvadoran cafe in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles.

"We're terrified. The police could come for us at any time and deport us," she said in Spanish earlier this week as diners fingered maize tortillas stuffed with beans and pork scratchings and chatted softly.

The 55-year-old undocumented worker from Guatemala is among many Hispanics deeply shaken by recent immigration raids at the heart of Latino communities in southern California.

The-seven day Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sweep, dubbed "Operation Return to Sender," targeted jails across five counties in the Los Angeles area, where police took 423 of what they called "criminal aliens" into federal custody for deportation, after being held on charges unrelated to their immigration status.

Federal agents from seven teams also fanned out in local communities, where they nabbed 338 undocumented immigrants, more than 150 of whom were classed as "immigration fugitives" -- foreign nationals who ignored final deportation orders.

The raid was the latest in a series of get-tough enforcement measures by ICE in the United States, but the largest action of its kind in California, where more than a third of the population is Hispanic.

"We hadn't seen anything like this here before, and it came as a shock," said Antonio Bernabe, a community worker who runs a day labor program at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. "The police didn't just take people with deportation orders, they took anybody ... guys who were just hanging out in the street and even from a Jack in the Box restaurant ... and now people are afraid to go out," he added.

(Editor's note: The police didn't take "anybody". They arrested people who had violated the law by entering the country illegally. Funny how the illegals keep forgetting to mention that part. -LA)

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The Constitution isn't perfect, but it's better than the system we're using now.

This is the real crime! This type of operation should be normal, not breaking news!

How true!!!

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

Now thats what i call cops doing their jobs! This is importaint cause illegal immingrants didnt go though the process right.They snuck in here to look for a free ride.

Agreed.

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Is our children learning? -George W. Bush

"I think—tide turning—see, as I remember—I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of—it's easy to see a tide turn—did I say those words?"—Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

Great news! Let's hope it stays consistent.

The problem is that a lot of the people picked up in these raids, and NOT illegals.

Source?

Why not equate them with murderers as well! After all, they come here, crossing the border whilst avoiding detection in an attempt to find work, which is almost the same thing as pointing a gun at someone and demanding their money and then shooting them. Such evildoers and villains these illegal aliens are.

Amazing, the concept that a piece of paper officially stamped by a government bureaucrat makes all the difference between a violent felon and a peaceful visitor.

You don't know what an analogy is, do you?

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If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

why worry? one reason could be the fear of human error or false intent. legal citizens could be mixed in with the illegals and deported while their family has no idea. i don't trust any agency or stranger to do the right thing everytime or 100% correct. plus if they're nabbing people infront of fast food restaurants, i would assume it was on appearance alone. i know if they were targeting white people i would, as a legal citizen, fear being mistaken for an illegal and arrested. my family would be worried about me, i could be missing a shift at work, or an acitivity with friends, etc while detained. the inconvenience and embarrassment of being arrested and detained over a case of mistaken identity would have me living in fear even though i had done nothing wrong. its not always easy to convince someone else of the truth.

for example: Maher Arar, a citizen of canada returning from a vacation with a stop over in new york, was detained by US authorities, arrested, and deported to Syria under extraordinary rendition so he could be tortured. his wife and family had no idea where he went. US authorities were acting on false information provided by the RCMP that he was trained by al-qaida. he was finally released a year later and recently exonerated by the canadian government after a public inqury. i wonder how long Arar was saying to himself: "i've got nothing to worry about, i've done nothing wrong..." (probably not long given he was a muslim flying post-9/11) and im sure as a legal citizen of canada the last thing on his mind was the thought of being deported to another country, let alone syria, let alone being tortured.

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Canada = Mad Cow Disease
USA = Mad Cowboy Disease

The law is the law. If you don't agree with it write your Congressman and try to get it changed. So, spare us the sarcasm. It doesn't matter why they are here or what their intentions are. They broke the law. PERIOD!

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"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

President George W. Bush, 8-5-2004

Carolina Politics Online

THIS IS REAL HOPE AND CHANGE!

Feel free to show us the stats on that at anytime.

I guess you didn't read the whole article.......

"The high-profile sweep netted mostly Mexican nationals, but included people from 14 countries including Ukraine, Japan, Poland and Trinidad"

You must live in constant fear every single day of your life. It's not uncommon for people to pick up someone and detain them in order to question them for a crime they suspect they might be involved in.

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"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

President George W. Bush, 8-5-2004

Carolina Politics Online

THIS IS REAL HOPE AND CHANGE!

Even your grammar doesn't make sense.

Are you claiming it is a "problem" when a lot of people are actually nabbed for breaking the law? If 10 rapists broke the law during a particular week in Cleveland, and the police rounded up 8 of them (80%, presumeably "a lot" on a percentage basis) would you be whining "The problem is the police picked up a lot of rapists this past week."?

Or is it that you think the police NEVER pick up people who are subsequently found innocent by the courts?

Well far be it that the police are for once doing their job on immigration - no to worry though...I have no doubt California's hippie courts will pass legislations to the effect from now on you have to give illegals notice prior to arresting them..or something to that effect..