Florida Sheriff Uses Intimidation Tactics to Catch Illegal Aliens [View All]

[Rage for Order]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070627/ap_on_re_us/sheriff_illegal_immigrants_1

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. - The sheriff's department has developed a remarkably effective — and controversial — way of catching illegal immigrants: Deputies in patrol cars pull up to a construction site in force, and watch and see who runs. Those who take off are chased down and arrested on charges such as trespassing, for cutting through someone else's property, or loitering, for hiding out in someone's yard, or reckless driving, for speeding off in a car. U.S. immigration authorities are then given the names of those believed to be in this country illegally.

"It's not wrong for them to run, but it's not wrong for us to chase them either," said Sheriff Frank McKeithen, who created his Illegal Alien Task Force in April to target construction sites in this Florida Panhandle county.

snip

Illegal immigrants are leaving town. And builders are worried the crackdown will deprive them of the labor they need to take part in a building boom in which Panama City's Beach cheap spring-break motels are being torn down and replaced with high-rise condos.

Developer Louis Breland is finishing the first phase of a $750 million beach condo project. "Subcontractors could not function without immigrant laborers for painting, rebar and steel work. They are the best workers," he said. "Without them, the cost of construction would be 10 times as much and nothing would get built."

more at the link

I don't agree with the sheriff's method. That said, I feel so sorry for the developer with the $750 million condo project. Can you imagine? He's going to have to pay US citizens at least $5 more per hour to do the work. He'll have to lower his profit margin! The horror! :sarcasm: