287(g)

By Kleinheider Posted on July 28, 2008 at 9:56 am

Nat Rau gives the controversial federal immigration proposal instituted by the Davidson County Sheriff the full treatment in this morning’s City Paper:

If Delgado is the sheriff’s office poster child for how 287(g) prevents dangerous criminals from slipping through the cracks, then the opposition’s counterpart is Juana Villegas DeLaPaz.

Stopped by Berry Hill Office Tim Coleman, a candidate for Metro’s school board, Villegas was arrested instead of being cited on July 3 for driving without a license.

At nine months pregnant, Villegas was found to be an illegal immigrant once she was in custody of the sheriff’s office 287(g) deputies. Villegas gave birth to her fourth child while in custody and was bound to her hospital bed for portions of her stay in the delivery room.

Although the sheriff’s office maintains Villegas was treated appropriately — pointing out the shackles were not restrictive and were removed in the lead-up to and after birth — local advocates are outraged. All told, Villegas was in custody for six days before her release and is now waiting immigration charges.

“The fatal flaw of the sheriff’s program is that any person with a civil immigration violation is treated like a dangerous criminal when they’re not,” Fotopulos said. “To see [sheriff’s office spokeswoman Karl Weikal’s] statements that the way Juana was treated was appropriate… it’s shocking.

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Tags: 287(g), Juana Villegas DeLaPaz  

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