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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 30, 2008

Explain, Congresswoman

Regarding "Search For Culprit In Immigrants' Crime Spree Starts On Capitol Hill" (Our Opinion, Aug. 26):

Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite, in case you've missed the last 10 years or so, we have a national immigration policy that is ineffective and continues to allow individuals who are here illegally to prey upon U.S. citizens.

Brown-Waite's news release stated, "It's clear to me that we need a federal investigation of the events surrounding the arrest and release of this man, and if warranted, new leadership at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office."

Congresswoman, where were you when Tampa Police Detective Juan Serrano was killed by an illegal immigrant? What have you done to help protect countless U.S. citizens who've been victimized by illegal aliens during the last decade? Where's your previous letters written to the U.S. attorney demanding immigration reform?

I'm calling for an investigation into what you've done during your term as a U.S. congresswoman. Are you telling us that while as a sitting member of Congress and as a member of Homeland Security committees, you're just now realizing that the national immigrations policies in this country are in dire straights?

LARRY McKINNON

Tampa

Federal Responsibility
I agree with Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite on her call for a federal investigation of the Martinez case.

However, I think it is her colleagues on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. who should be the focus of the investigation, not the sheriff or ICE.

I am a retired police officer from New Jersey, and back in the early 1970s all it took was a phone call to the local INS office to have an investigator respond to any incident in which a suspected illegal alien was involved. Fast forward to the late-1970s budget cuts and instead of an investigator from INS responding you got voice mail to leave a message when you called the local office. As we are all aware, it has gone steadily down hill from there.

Immigration is a federal responsibility, and it is past time they took it seriously. Considering the track record of both the Democrats and Republicans, I won't hold my breath.

JOSEPH R. INGANAMORT

Riverview

State Should Do More

Thank you U. S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite for calling for a federal investigation to identify who is to blame in the case of Rigoberto Moron Martinez, an illegal alien, who has committed crime after crime in Florida. His latest crime was the rape of two Apollo Beach women on Aug. 16, and he is finally in jail. Martinez had been arrested by Hillsborough County deputies on Aug. 5 on a domestic violence-related charge, and at that time he was suspected of being in the country illegally. Prior to that arrest, he had been arrested in April 2007 for not having a valid driver's license.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been notified about Martinez by the St. Petersburg police because he was a suspect in a St. Petersburg robbery and rape on Aug. 3. Sheriff David Gee should not be blamed for our failed immigration system, nor should any other law enforcement officer in Florida. The blame goes to our Congress because most immigration bills such as the SAVE Act, which would secure our borders and mandate E-verify to make sure employees are legal, are being blocked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will not let them come to the floor for a vote.

The next level of blame goes to our state Legislature for refusing to bring any of the immigration bills to the floor for a vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. They allowed the bills to die in committee. Our governor, Charlie Crist, has the authority to do something about illegal immigration, but he tries to pass it off as a federal issue and doesn't want to have anything to do with it.

Here is the real truth - Florida has statute 448.09, which prohibits illegal aliens from being employed in Florida. Crist could issue an executive order giving state and local law enforcement the authority to check immigration status of all persons detained for traffic violations, etc.

Sheriff Gee should not condemn Rep. Brown-Waite for calling attention to a critical issue confronting our state.We can't wait and allow illegal aliens to commit felonies before ICE is contacted. If they are illegal, they should be considered a flight risk and held until ICE picks them up.

BETTY DOBSON

Brooksville

Many Accessories

How much taxpayer money has to be wasted on DNA results, police man hours, court costs, probation costs, etc., to finally deport criminal aliens? The rapist spent half of his life illegally in the United States prison system until after he got out, committed crimes and was finally caught again. How did he get through the system without being detected by anyone?

I propose that those who hire illegal aliens be considered as an accessory before the fact and dealt with legally. Make them pay huge fines! This should apply to domestics, whatever. Americans need jobs these illegals have stolen simply because they work for less.

This has to stop. Why are our leaders ignoring this situation?

A. M. LONG

St. Petersburg

Indirectly Responsible

I am outraged that three probably illegal aliens were responsible for the recent abduction, rape and robbery of two women in Apollo Beach.

President Bush, senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez and Rep. Kathy Castor are indirectly responsible for these crimes through their failure to enforce our immigration laws and protect our borders. They put their political welfare above their sworn duty to protect and defend the citizens of Florida and the U.S.

How many victims does it take to get their attention?

ROBERT MADDALON

Tampa

The writer is a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputy.

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