INS Tells Local Police to Release Illegal Aliens
One would think that the federal government's difficulty in handling illegal aliens would have little impact on Montgomery County,but with increasing frequency,thats not the case.
The latest instant was over the weekend when the Immigration and Naturalization Service told Hillsboro police to release three illegal aliens because the federal authorities lacked the manpower to deal with them.
The incident began at about 11 p.m. friday night,Feb. 25, when police discovered disabled van on Vandalia Road near Mechanic Street.The van was registered to a Belleville man.
None of the van three occupants spoke english,had a drivers license,or any form of identification.
Using Luke Satterlee as an interpreter,police learned that three were from Mexico,had crossed the boarder illegaly a year and half year ago on a bus,and were working here as roofers.Satterlee,son of Hillsboro Police Chief Gary Satterlee is a college student from Hillsboro studying Spanish and law enforcement.
Local authorities then checked with INS,who said that unless the men had committed a crime,they did not have the resources to come and get them.Instead Hillsboro police escorted them out of city limits and told them not to return.But even if the men had committed crime,INS may not have been able to respond.
Chief Satterlee said that about a year ago,illegal aliens who had been arrested for stealing a vehicle were awaiting INS extradition in Montgomery County Jail.INS failed to pick up the men,citing staffing problems,then,too and told the local authorities to release the prisoners.
