State arrests Illegal Immigrant for Trespassing

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When the head of the Soviet mission called, indignant, he was told to "go pound salt."

I remember that case - and I think the the local police may have screwed up big time on that one because they didn't understand the concept of diplomatic immunity. I've read quite a few cases where the local cops fell foul of diplomatic immunity (which is contained in federal law in the US just as it is here in Australia) because they were ignorant (ignorant in the non-pejorative sense) but also because they were arrogant (arrogant in the "you can't tell us what to do" sense).

Since then I have wondered what the phrase "pound salt" meant (that's just an aside).

Sorry for the spectacular double-hijack.

I still think the local cops are well out of line on this one.

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My point is that the police chief was stepping in to deal with a chronic problem, and one which was serious for small store owners--and it was one which the Feds would not address. Sure, diplomatic immunity means that you're not supposed to lock them up--it also means, in practice, that the host nation can then tell the mission to remove the person or persons in question--persona non grata, it's a commonplace. That police chief wasn't being arrogant, he was sending a message, a clear one, to both the Feds and the Soviet mission, and i still applaud him for it. I'll bet shoplifting dropped off dramatically in that jurisdiction.

"Go pound salt up your ass" is the complete expression, which is usually shortened to "go pound salt," as everyone in the region is familiar with the expression.

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Not splitting hairs here but my "arrogant" point referred to other cases (specifically one in Los Angeles).

Thanks for the "pound salt" info - my Lexicon of Evil Sayings is building up nicely Very Happy

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Ta, Boss, glad i could be of help to you . . .

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We didn't cross the border,the border crossed us

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kelticwizard wrote:

Brandon:

Okay, in principle we want to get drug dealers out of circulation. but we don't want police to have the right to bust into anyone's house or apartment because they heard that the occupant might have been a drug dealer.

Get my point?

True, but the police should not simply leave drug dealers alone, either. They should make a very, very aggressive attempt to put drug dealers in jail and throw away the key, and if they report a drug dealer in their neighborhood to the DEA, and the DEA says, "Yawn, yeah, whatever," they can certainly be excused for making a good faith effort to handle the situation within existing law. The fact that the police shouldn't knowingly break the law themselves, by no stretch of the imagination means that they ought not to use absolutely every resource at their disposal to throw the scum into jail where they belong.

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goodfielder wrote:

Quote:
The motivation of the local police is understandable.

I have a problem with that position. The police have a job to do and they should do it in full observation of the letter and spirit of the law.

Part of the spirit of the law is that it should be obeyed. The statement of this issue includes the idea that the individual actually is guilty of a crime. It is not the spirit of the law that criminals should defy the law with impunity any more than it is that the police should overstep their authority. If your solution is to ignore the problem, then you're simply wrong.

goodfielder wrote:

What we have here is a smart-arse police department or chief or whatever. I reckon this is an abuse of the law writ large and I reckon it's malicious.

What we have here is a police department that doesn't like to watch the INS flagrantly ignore its responsibilty to protect the country, and attempted to find an applicable statute in their municipal law. Frankly, I doubt you know whether the police charge is technically incorrect or not.

goodfielder wrote:

[Local police don't have the authority to enforce the immigration laws (well that's my understanding, I'm a ferriner so I could be wrong) and that must be for a reason. Perhaps the federal government intended that only its agents should enforce this law because they have no control over local law enforcement and accordingly the authority in the legislation could be abused. Reading this case I'm not surprised.

Perhaps, except for the fact that the system is corrupt and the appropriate authorities won't enforce immigration law.

goodfielder wrote:

[Brandon the police must never be allowed to make it up as they go along. In this instance because you - rightly and understandably - are upset (and I use that advisedly, your comments on the topic are temperate) about illegal immigration from Mexico, you will support the police bending or breaking or ignoring the law.

What a liar. I never said anything of the kind.

goodfielder wrote:

From my perspective that's a seriously slippery slope.

Yes, and so is walking away from a situation in which criminals defy the law with impunity because the people entrusted with enforcing it don't or can't.

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The crux of the matter is that the federal government thru the INS has failed in it's responsibility to enforce the law. I wonder if it would be appropriate and possible to bring suite against the INS for refusing to enforce the laws under their jurisdiction?

Does the government have diplomatic immunity as well? since It appears to be a foreign government to the states. [Kidding I think]

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Some people just need to Lighten Up!

These police chiefs are back-woods buffoons... nothing more.

You will notice that all of the towns where this is happening are pearly white middle class towns. I grew up in Southern small town New Hampshire. These are the same towns where black drivers routinely get pulled over (and I have personal experience with this).

Imagine what would happen if this kind of "enforcement" happened a diverse community, let's say Manhatten. Do you think it is to the benefit of law enforcement to alienate a significant proportion of the people living in the community? Do you think making people fear and distrust police makes it easier to fight terrorism.

This is pure white upper-middle-class hypocritical idiocy.

We all are willing break laws in cases where we aren't breaking our own moral code-- especially in cases where we are helping our families (or defending the Iraq policy of our boss).

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I used to live a half hour from the tiajuana border in San diego(the busiest border crossing in the world). theres mile long stretches of nothing and I mean nothing.No border patrol, no fence,no kidding.Theres so many mexicans in california even the mexicans think theres to many mexicans.My own grandfather crossed the border alone as an orphan his brothers and sisters were starving.His dad died fighting the revelution then his mom died leaving him to do what he had to do,head for the U.S.. I don't think I would be alive today if it weren't for the U.S..I definitly wouldn't chatting on a forum drinking a hot cup of coffee. P.S. Don't tip toe around me ,were adults. I dont get insulted easily you could call me a beaner and tell me to go back to mexico and we could still talk.My family is from East L.A.

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Esse, Homey, i like beans, an' i'm about as white as they come . . .

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North Carolina is pretty far from southern California, isn't it?

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Which has what to do with anything?

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ah, so we met again McGen.To early to think I'm an easy target right now.How's the weather in seattle.I see the fearless coke drinking K-nine is with you. Thats 2 on 1.I have no back up.notice I'm much more friendly when i'm alone(Pathetic)

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Setanta, I'm also half Irish. The mexican bit is for fun

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Perhaps you've read or heard of Bernardo O'Higgins--not just half-Irish, but also the Liberator of Chile. I don't think he was Mexican, though . . .

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I'll have to search that sounds interesting.I'm always looking for bad ass irsh dudes

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Bernardo was a hero not only to the Chileans. In Argentina he was worshipped too.

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Amigo wrote:

I dont get insulted easily you could call me a beaner and tell me to go back to mexico and we could still talk.My family is from East L.A.

Si eres frijolero, contesta me. Confused

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I don't really speak spanish

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State arrests Illegal Immigrant for Trespassing

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