KUSA - On August 7, a Colorado State Patrol trooper pulled over a van in Mesa County near the Utah/Colorado border.
Initially it was for a traffic violation, but eventually it turned into an immigration stop.
According to CSP Master Trooper Ron Watkins, the responding trooper suspected the 15 people inside the van were in the United States illegally. Watkins says that trooper contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to respond. After nearly two hours passed, the trooper was still waiting.
"They originally said they would respond but later notified us back that they didn't have the resources to come out to the scene," said Watkins.
Watkins says the suspected illegal immigrants were then released.
"At that point we got no criminal charges against anyone, so those folks were allowed to leave," said Watkins.
A spokesman for ICE issued a statement saying in part:
"At the time we did not have the resources (bed spaces) to detain them so that's why they were released," ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok wrote.
While the idea of releasing suspected illegal immigrants can and will anger many people, such incidents, according to CSP and one Colorado State Senator, happen often.
"It's just in the last couple of years that this has become so newsworthy, but I've been on patrol for 30 years and this type of thing has happened constantly all the time," said Watkins.
"Generally what ICE says is if their regional office is full, if their detention center is full, they just let people go. We see it on I-70 near the Peoria area. It's just one example of the Federal government not doing what it's supposed to on immigration issues," said State Senator Peter Groff (D-Denver).
Groff co-sponsored legislation that ultimately created a special CSP unit dedicated to detecting suspected illegal immigrants. It is unclear if the trooper who pulled the van over on August 7 is a member of that unit.
Groff says the state is doing what it can with its laws against illegal immigration, which are considered some of the toughest in the nation. Federal failures, he says, minimizes the state's efforts.
"The state has done all it can do. It's time for the federal government to do its job," said Groff.
Rusnok maintains that incidents like the one on August 7 are isolated.
"Situations like the one on August 7th don't happen often," his statement read.
The statement continued, highlighting how the CSP's special immigration unit is doing well. It detailed how in July the unit identified five felons who are now being prosecuted for re-entry after deportation.
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops