53 Illegal Immigrants Freed From Captivity

Alleged Smugglers Held Men, Women, Children In Fortified House, Demanded More Money

(AP)  Fifty-three illegal immigrants found Sunday had been held against their will in a fortified home by suspected smugglers demanding more money, authorities said.

The group of rescued immigrants included two 13-year-old girls, three women and a mentally disabled man. The rest were men, Department of Public Safety spokesman Harold Sanders said.

Authorities began investigating Saturday after getting a tip that immigrants were being held captive. Sanders said the smugglers wanted an average of $2,500 for each person's release.

The single-family home where they were kept had been fortified to prevent escape and weapons were seized at the location. The suspected smugglers also took away the immigrants' shoes so they couldn't run off.

Sanders said five people, all residents of Mexico, were being jailed on charges of extortion, kidnapping, aggravated assault and human smuggling.

Authorities on the scene said the immigrants had little food and water and it was unclear how long they had been held inside the house.

"Because the undocumented aliens are held in fortified rooms and do not have access to watches, clocks, telephones, televisions, etc, so when they are interviewed, many do not have a true sense of time and whether hours, days or weeks have passed." Sanders said.

The rescued immigrants were turned over to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.

[whatinthewld]

Oh, these poor illegals. Let''s give them a free ride...........HOME!.........over the border and then they can have their shoes back.

[messiahx4eve]

When will you people grow up and realize that these people DO NOT come here seeking so-called jobs that "lazy Americans" do not want. Big Business, like Corporate America, hires "bondage brokers" to bring in cheap labor to save money and increase profit margins. IF YOU WANT JUSTICE, GO AFTER THE BUSINESSES THAT PAY FOR ILLEGALS TO BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. Do you honestly believe that an illegal from Mexico found his or her way to a Mexican restruant in Cleveland, Ohio by answering a help wanted ad in Juarez? FINE the companies, make them pay for the damages they have done. Cut off the TRUE sources of illegal entries, and it will stop. MAKE CORPORATE AMERICA PAY FOR THE 12 MILLION ILLEGALS THAT ARE HERE AND NOT US. THE BUSINESSES THAT HIRE THESE ILLEGALS ARE THE GUILTY PARTIES, NOT THE ILLEGALS.

[searcher911]

I am in favor of AMNESTY. Don''t put them in jail the first time, just ship them home. The second time, well that IS a different story. Also a $50K fine per individual would remove the economic incentive and would go a long way to convince most businesses that they are not a cheap source of labor. Golly, it might even cause businesses to raise the pay scales for their lowest level jobs to where they are not in direct competition with welfare.

[pfd572]

I live in Phoenix and, trust me, our economy would suffer severely suffer without some immigrant labor. The number and types of unskilled jobs filled by immigrants is staggering and many would not be the kind of jobs citizens would covet. HOWEVER, I am unhappy when I shop at large stores and I am unable to communicate with employees because they don''t speak English. The coyotes who prey on people crossing the border illegally has become more violent and deadly in recent months, not to mention the hundreds who die each year from heat and thirst. If a stronger border prevents deaths, that alone is a good reason for closing the gaps. But to condemn an entire group of people just because most of them are looking for a living wage is heartless.

[pfd572]

One other thought. There needs to be more identity checks of KNOWN illegal immigrants (quit profiling Arpaio), too many violent felons are re-arrested and sent back across the border time and time again, without careful checks of any criminal background.

[pfd572]

One last thought before moving on. This is to any immigrant who has marched for amnesty and has DEMANDED changes, same rights and benefits as citizens, etc. It is hard to swallow the angry demanding rhetoric when all of the Central and South American countries you come from do not provide any benefits or protection to non-citizens. In Mexico a non-citizen isn''t even allowed to attend public schools, for instance, yet we are mandated to teach ESL. In most areas of the country non-citizens cannot purchase property. The Mexican government routinely interferes in our legal system. Marchers carry the Mexican flag and people who have lived here for decades have not learned any English. Many people view this as arrogance and a request for special treatment over other, legal, immigrants. It breeds bad feelings. I think if more attempts to assimilate like immigrants from Europe, Asia and Africa have done would go a long way in reducing the anger of so many US citizens. All of these cultures have been able to celebrate their heritage without losing important aspects of their national cultures.

[carjenbe]

Boy, you guys look out, if Mr. Obama, aka Ted Kennedy Jr, gets in the white house, the borders will be taken down and all social democrats of whatever persuation can come in the good old US of A and take over all and any jobs they want without fear of retribution, jail time or anything bad. Welfare benefits will be back dated from the date your first thought of leaving the good of US of Mexico. And no permits will be required for undocumented aliens to freely demonstrate that the US laws are biased against foreigner. Here is novel idea, go back to Mexico and demonstrate that your govenment is NOT taking care of you. No, on second thought you would proabaly be shot, arrested, or some drug cartel chief would kidnap you for ransom.

[searcher911]

Illegal immigrants ALWAYS break more that the one law for just being here. They don''t get drivers licenses, auto insurance, don''t pay taxes, frequently run from traffic collisions due to the above, etc. This applies to all illegals, not just those who are here to actively rape, steal, smuggle drugs, be part of street gangs, etc. As far as "diversity" is concerned, it is the best way to divide a people or country. By make "special" groups that can be in constant conflict with each other you have intrinsic internal conflict. Diverse has the same root as divide (as in "a nation divided against it self can not stand")

[missingamerica]

A pretty contradiction, isn''t it?

Today we have one CBS story that bemoans the accidental death of an illegal immigrant - a preacher - who was being housed with the prerequisite food, water, shelter, and medical care (however poorly access to the latter was controlled).

And we have this story, which notes that the country of origin of the "smugglers *** captors" who treat those who are quite possibly their own so inhumanely isn''t America.

Why is it that those who so vociferously demand that we accept illegal immigration never demand harsh punishment for those such as the criminals in this story?

Why is it that the "pro-illegals" activists always demand that America bear the burden of sick societies whose inequality curves (curves so steep that even our Republicans shiver in envy) force their own across our borders like so much pus on the mirror from a teenager''s zit the night before the prom?

Why do the pro-illegal immigration activists instead insist on encouraging smuggling - or to phrase it more nicely, insist that we in America ease the symptom instead of treating the problem?

If they really want to accomplish something, then they should look to reforming our trade treaties to require humanitarian working conditions and wage standards in all of the trading partners of the U.S. of A., instead of working so very hard to transform America''s economy into a mirror of those that the illegals have fled.

[tcmofo33]

1. There will be no special bilingual programs in the schools.

2. All ballots will be in this nation''s language.

3.. All government business will be conducted in our language.

4. Non-residents will NOT have the right to vote no matter how long they are here.

5. Non-citizens will NEVER be able to hold political office.

6 Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care, or other government assistance programs. Any burden will be deported.

7. Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount at least equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage.

8. If foreigners come here and buy land... options will be restricted.
Certain parcels including waterfront property are reserved for citizens naturally born into this country.

9.. Foreigners may have no protests; no demonstrations, no waving of a foreign flag, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. These will lead to deportation.

10. If you do come to this country illegally,

you will be actively hunted &, when caught,

sent to jail until your deportation can be arranged. All assets will be taken from you..

Harsh, you say?.......

The above laws are current immigration laws of MEXICO

[bbirdsr71]

I don%u2019t think we should call them %u201Cillegal immigrants%u201D. Immigrants did the right thing, got registered, learned the language, followed the laws of the land and paid taxes! That is the right thing to do! These people who come into this country illegally are invaders. %u201CILLEGAL INVADERS%u201D It%u2019s like the movie Independence Day, remember when the aliens came to the earth and sucked up all the resources and destroyed the land and then moved on. Well this is what the illegal invaders are doing here, when the %u201Cmilk and honey%u201D is gone, they will move on to another country for another free ride. I am all for immigration reform, DEPORT THE ILLEGAL INVADERS.

[pensacola88]

The old arcane laws on the Mexican law books displayed by TCmofo33 about foreigners and their entitlements have all been superceded by international agreements that give foreigners in Mexico entitlements to most of the same benefits available to Mexican citizens. The facilities in Mexico are not glamorous, but services are cheap.

Anyone can see a doctor for about $2 in a 8am-5pm facility to $10 in a 24 hr facility. I used them.

Anyone can buy most medicines without a prescription from any pharmacy, since medicine is not controlled by an FDA equivalent. I bought them.

Most Mexicans will open their home to you, especially if you can speak Spanish, but most are bilingual and are eager to practice their English.

You think we hate poverty, Mexicans really hate it!!

You think we hate infation, Mexicans really hate it!!

You think we hate adult illiteracy, Mexicans really hate it and wish they had better schools!!!

You think we hate high taxes, Mexicans really hate them!!

There is far more that we have in common with the Mexicans than most people believe.

We have a different idea about a border problem, because most Americans who remember the cold war have that "Berlin Wall Mentality". Mexicans think like Americans did in the 50''s - That Berlin Wall idea is crazy and needs to come down! Strange how some Americans want a wall today in our Mexican border.

[extremophil]

I''m surprised that it took 14 comments before someone blamed this directly on President Bush.

[nolalou]

Posted by messiahx4eve: "When will you people grow up and realize that these people DO NOT come here seeking so-called jobs that "lazy Americans" do not want. Big Business, like Corporate America, hires "bondage brokers" to bring in cheap labor to save money and increase profit margins."

Ok, how many Americans want to pick crops? Most American farms use immigrant labor during harvest season, much of it probably illegal. If they paid American wages and benefits, the price you pay at the supermarket would triple, add to that the increased cost of fuel, and it would have a disastrous effect on our economy! We need real immigration reform, which has to include some kind of guest worker program, because like it or not, our economy depends on low cost immigrant labor!

[penskeone]

I don%u2019t think we should call them %u201Cillegal immigrants%u201D. Immigrants did the right thing, got registered, learned the language, followed the laws of the land and paid taxes! That is the right thing to do! These people who come into this country illegally are invaders. %u201CILLEGAL INVADERS%u201D It%u2019s like the movie Independence Day, remember when the aliens came to the earth and sucked up all the resources and destroyed the land and then moved on. Well this is what the illegal invaders are doing here, when the %u201Cmilk and honey%u201D is gone, they will move on to another country for another free ride. I am all for immigration reform, DEPORT THE ILLEGAL INVADERS.


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Posted by bbirdsr71


Kind of Like your forefathers! If you get a speeding ticket, does that make you an illegal motorist?

[acolton1]

The rescued immigrants were turned over to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.

I hope they were all deported back to Mexico because they were Illegal.

[maedean]

Lets make sure they do not stay here for free medical and welfare benifits. Send them back where they came from. They are illegal and do not belong here they are not wanted here !!!!!!! We have enough already that our goverment will not get rid of....

[maedean]

benefits excuse me.

[pensacola88]

The only ones you catch and deport are the dumb ones. The smart ones get through safely and manage to find a sanctuary.

Despite how much hatred is being expressed about their presence, they keep coming. I respect them. Hatred stops the average desparate American from doing something worthwhile, like looking for a way to feed his family, but not the desparate Mexican with the same need. They are unstoppable!! I am glad they exhibit no fear!! They deserve to be here and one day called Americans!! I wish we could deport the lazy loud mouth loosers that were born here!! Trouble is, they wouldn''t survive anywhere else!!!

[lilvinnyb]

Pensacola88'' post has to be one of the most laughable ones ive ever read. I was tempted to respond, but then realized that is does not even merit a retort.

[quetzalcrist]

Poor People,
Coming to Aztlan only to be caged up..
interviewed by monkeys with badges. and put into larger cages....

[tcmofo33]

I have no problem with immigration itself, but we need laws in place for LEGAL immigration...above all I put this on Congress for dragging their feet on another issue that is important to Americans.

Standardized immigration laws/working VISAs...that could work...imagine that. It is the Mexicans that march down the American streets demanding American rights and liberties all the while waving the Mexican flag that really gets me.

[pensacola88]

At this time, Mexican President Calderon is fighting Narco-terrorists in his own soil. He is using his military to hunt them down without mercy. It is working, because the drug cartels are fighting for the vacancies in the differnt cities, where organized crime get toppled. The terrorists retaliated and killed two police chiefs in Mexico City last week.

The $120 a barrel price has created a windfall of oil revenues for Mexico to invest in the education system and finance capital projects that were deperately needed.

El Salvador, Honduras & Guatemala fought communist rebels in the 80''s. The civil war created refugees and the US immigration service has given asylum to their citizens. Over 75% of them here lost their fathers who fought communists in THEIR soil.

Communists are strong in southern Mexico and almost won their last election. The most poor have resorted to socialism and if it weren''t for the aliens here sending money back to their homeland, I am convinced, that teh communists would have gained the majority in the last election and won....something we don''t ever want to see. Having aliens here sending money back to their homeland has helped prevent another Cuba from forming in our southern border. The people of Arizona and California need to listen to someone other than the KKK for direction. Purist attitudes are exactly what fuels communism.

[quetzalcrist]

El Salvador, Honduras & Guatemala fought communist rebels in the 80''''s...
dont Forget it was Reagan, SHRUB Sr. who orchestrated these mass killings.

[pensacola88]

What I am saying is that if we treat Mexico like communists, build a "Berlin Wall" on our common boudary, and arrest Mexicans and all latins like spies, then Mexico will become a communist country. They may actually prefer it over Democracy, if we don''t treat them any better. Condeming a poor country and their people accelerates the formation of socialism, communism and other types non-demcratic governments. We actually have some influence on the matter and we need to abate the harsh rhetoric and extreme disrespect that has been exhibited. When the USA encountered the depression in 1930''s, we didn''t see our citizens treated harshly in Canada or Mexico. Many of our citizens left for those countries found compassionate people there and never returned. We are fortunate that most Mexicans know that not Americans think like the political leaders of Arizon and California, who fuel anti-latin sentiments. We have our loud mouths, they have their machos. It is something both countries understand.

[besscannon-2009]

Bush "used" the immigration problem when he practically invited the illegals in so he could get their votes. Like everything else, this is another of the problems this evil man created for us. I shudder to think how we will be paying our taxes so this devil can receive a pension for the rest of his miserable life, complete with security we will be paying for for him and Cheney. It is all so wrong and unfair to the people he has caused so many problems! Maybe this government should fall so we could start over and maybe build something decent and fair to the people. Too much corruption, fraud, greed and dishonesty now for this government to survive much longer.

[barbaraf4]

"53 Illegal Immigrants Freed From Captivity" and taken to an ICE detention center where they will be held indefinitely." Posted by Nancy_Naive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I suspect they were simply released back into our society as soon as the newsmen left the building.

I believe they *should* have been released in Crawford, TX.

[tucano2]

Hopefully by now the illegal aliens will have been fingerprinted, had their mug shot, and had biometric data recorded AND dumped back over the border they criminally crossed. Let''s not detain them for a any extra minutes and spend any more taxpayer monies housing, feeding, and provideding "healthcare" to them. GET RID OF THEM !

[brianp55]

I am so relieved to learn that these individuals have been freed from this terrible state of imprisonment. Now ship their butts back to Mexico.

[penskeone]

Hopefully by now the illegal aliens will have been fingerprinted, had their mug shot, and had biometric data recorded AND dumped back over the border they criminally crossed. Let''''s not detain them for a any extra minutes and spend any more taxpayer monies housing, feeding, and provideding "healthcare" to them. GET RID OF THEM !


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Posted by tucanofulano at


Don''t think this is going to solve the problem. They will be back here tommorow. We need to Pass A Comprehensive Reform Bill!

[chatmandu002]

BUILD THE WALL, BUILD IT NOW.

[quetzalcrist]

Poor People,
Coming to Aztlan only to be caged up..
interviewed by monkeys with badges. and put into larger cages....

[brianp55]

"Don''''t think this is going to solve the problem. They will be back here tommorow. We need to Pass A Comprehensive Reform Bill!"

We need to install gun turrets and land mines and send the employers of illegals to something reminiscent of Devils Island.. Of course, I''m exaggerating....but you get the idea.

[penskeone]

We need to install gun turrets and land mines and send the employers of illegals to something reminiscent of Devils Island.. Of course, I''''m exaggerating....but you get the idea.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by brianp55


Yeah, your exaggerating!

[sumarongi1]

We should invade and take over Mexico. Our war with them would be next door and a logistical dream compared to Iraq. They would all become Americans then and could stay home.

[cbutler69]

Speaking of Bushs pension, where is it said we have to pay him a pension anyway? Honest I dont remember ever reading it. As for the 53 send them a packing or to Crawford Tx and the Bush ranchlet him deal with them, Im tired of wasting my money on them.

[quetzalcrist]

brianp55...

they should do that in the lands of Palestine,
i hear theres an Illegal Alien migration going on over there,
theyre stealing Palestinian lands for Russian illegals to come in and become part of a welfare state funded by U.S. Taxpayer $$$$$

[pensacola88]

Renewing McCarthyism and fueling anti-Mexican sentimant is a terrible idea. Senator McCarthy was eventually discredited and Senator Prescott Bush put the Red Scare era to a close with a censorship of Senator McCarthy. McCarthy was a loudmouth drunk with a sick heart and a rotten soul. He destroyed many lives with his hateful campaigns. Many live without learning about him. We don''t want to see that kind of political or social behavior again. In WWII, it was the unconstitutional incarcertion of Japanese-Americans. In the 50''s, it was Communists. In the 60''s, it was hippies. It seems as if we have an addiction to anxiety and hatred, and an even greater fear of change. I sincerely believe education would help dampen this.

53 aliens got to see their families again. They were hostages of their own people. How much more rotten can it get? And, yes...Bush does have the heart to accept them in his ranch in Crawford, Texas, when they can pursue the matter in a legal way. Bush tried to pass an amnesty bill, but was defeated. The voice of dissent came from the least likely place he expected it - his religious supporters, who later took the Republican Party down.

Hatred is killed the Republican party and made it an extemely unattractive political option.

[pfd572]

Why is it that those who so vociferously demand that we accept illegal immigration never demand harsh punishment for those such as the criminals in this story?
ibsteve2u

So much of what you said was blatant in its inaccuracy, but this one statement was the most ignorant. I have heard many people who have a more lax view on illegal immigration condemn human smuggling and want the violent element prosecuted. Just like they want any illegal immigrant who commits a crime prosecuted.

[gopack443]

Welcome to America!

[acolton1]

The rescued immigrants were turned over to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.

So were these people deported? I hope these illegals were finger printed and pictures taken of them and put into the data base.

[trbundro1277]

Deport ALL illegal immigrants!

[trbundro1277]

Welcome to America, NOT, America is a land of LEGAL immigrants! NO AMNESTY!!! Send those 53 illegals back to mexico! They do NOT belong in USA!

[trbundro1277]

We should invade and take over Mexico. Our war with them would be next door and a logistical dream compared to Iraq. They would all become Americans then and could stay home.
Posted by Sumarongi1 at 12:57 PM : May 12, 2008
*** I agree! If we annex all Mexico, and carve it into about 4 or 5 different states, that would be great. If 12 million or more people from mexico are illegally coming into the USA, something must be wrong with the mexican government. I feel sympathy for people that come here for fear from their native governments, but not when more than 12 million people are coming here from that same country. Those 12 million illegals need to go back to mexico, go to mexico city, and demand better from their government. 12 million or more people would be able to achieve what needs to be done for change!

[trbundro1277]

AND THE DEM CONTROLLED CONGRESS WANTS TO GIVE AMNESTY!

LEGALIZE "ILLEGALITY" ?

SPANISH CONQUEST CIRCA 2008?

Posted by dumbshun at 10:54 AM
*** Not the Democrats! Look at Juan Amnesty McCain! The "dream Act" which most consider total amnesty, was presented by senator Juan McCain! Don''t blame the democrats, it was the Juan McCain! the republicans like Juan McCain and bush that want amnesty, not democrats. Do you not know that Unions back democrats??? Unions would not want all the cheap labor coming up and taking union jobs!

[pfd572]

I wonder how many of your ancestors were legal immigrants? So many of today''s citizens are descended from former illegal immigrants or were lucky enough to arrive before we started quotas. No your own history before you start calling for harsher treatments.

[pfd572]

The old arcane laws on the Mexican law books displayed by TCmofo33 about foreigners and their entitlements have all been superceded by international agreements that give foreigners in Mexico entitlements to most of the same benefits available to Mexican citizens. The facilities in Mexico are not glamorous, but services are cheap. Posted by Pensacola88

Not true. Non-citizens still can''t attend public schools, participate in any political march or demonstration, buy land in many parts of the country, to name just a couple truths.

[ebrew3]

Leviticus 19:33-35 (Contemporary English Version)

33Don''t mistreat any foreigners who live in your land. 34Instead, treat them as well as you treat citizens and love them as much as you love yourself. Remember, you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
------------------
It appears that mose comments expressed are not rooted in the Judeo-Christian value of treating everyone as human, and of equal value to God. The question is "Do we raise the standard of how we treat people not born in the United States, or do we devolve into barbarism?" When we de-humanize others, we de-humanize ourselves.

It appears that many who have opined on this article have chosen the way of Cain by choosing to not be their brother''s keeper.

[pfd572]

Its funny how everyone assumes a hispanic illegal immigrant is from Mexico. They are from most of the Central and South American countries. Many of these countries are fighting rebels and are overrun by violence and poverty. Hate the sin, but understand and have sympathy for the sinners, even if you can''t support their method of immigrating.

[pfd572]

Ok, how many Americans want to pick crops? Most American farms use immigrant labor during harvest season, much of it probably illegal. If they paid American wages and benefits, the price you pay at the supermarket would triple, add to that the increased cost of fuel, and it would have a disastrous effect on our economy! We need real immigration reform, which has to include some kind of guest worker program, because like it or not, our economy depends on low cost immigrant labor! Posted by nolalou

Good post.