Alleged profiling by Forest Service officials to be protested

[ilbegone]

Alleged profiling by Forest Service officials to be protested

By Joe Nelson Staff Writer

09/09/2011

A pro-immigrant rights coalition will hold a news conference Monday outside the U.S. Forest Service supervisor's office in San Bernardino in protest of recent alleged profiling incidents in the San Bernardino National Forest.

The latest alleged incident occurred over the Labor Day weekend, when a family traveling in two vehicles, returning home from a weekend outing in Lytle Creek, were pulled over by two Forest Service law enforcement officers and detained.

The officers reportedly gave no reason for pulling them over, said Emilio Amaya of the San Bernardino Community Service Center, a nonprofit that provides legal service to immigrants.

"We're trying to figure out why they decided to stop them and why did they ask for immigration documents," Amaya said.

Three men and a woman who could not produce citizenship documents were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in San Bernardino.

As the group waited about 30 minutes for immigration officials to arrive, the Forest Service officers would not allow two children who were in the vehicles to use the restroom. They wound up relieving themselves in their clothes, said Fernando Romero, coordinator of the Justice for Immigrants Coalition of Inland Southern California, which is conducting Monday's news conference.

"We thought it was very inhumane for them to do that," said Romero. "They absolutely overstepped their boundaries."

Amaya said the alleged
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Lytle Creek incident, which is reported to have occurred the evening of Sept. 3, is one of several similar recently reported incidents involving Forest Service officers.

Similar incidents have been reported in Lake Arrowhead, Big Bear Lake and Idyllwild, Amaya said.

U.S. Forest Service spokesman John Miller said his office received information on the alleged Lytle Creek incident on Friday and would be reviewing the matter. He couldn't comment further.

Miller also could not comment on any policies the Forest Service may or may not have on the screening of suspected illegal immigrants.

Amaya was able to negotiate the release of the four individuals detained on Sept. 3, but the four now await a hearing before a judge. All four are from Michoacan, Mexico, Amaya said.

"A judge will review the case and decide if they have to leave the country or not," he said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, regularly receives calls from state, federal and local law enforcement agencies requesting assistance and support, said Virginia Kice, ICE spokeswoman.

ICE will respond to such requests if the resources are available and if the request supports ICE's objectives, Kice said.