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Protest of immigrant arrests set I Inland News I PE.com I Southern California News I New... Page 1 of 2 Received at meeting of Search PE.com . -...-aE_zrsra+c0 ' Date:_ I-//L Item No.: .17 Comments I Recommended Protest of immigrant arrests set RIVERSIDE: The Border Patrol says profiling was not done on bus passengers, and it defends other methods it uses. 144 ►111 ►N - I>i EN IO STORY 4= D_ ,,1nioad story podcast 07:31 PM PDT on Wednesday, July 1, 2004 By DAVID OLSON The Press-Enterprise Immigration, Latino and religious activists will gather at the Riverside U.S. Border Patrol station today to denounce what they call "dirty tactics," including checking the immigration status of local bus passengers and dressing in civilian clothing during operations. Border Patrol agents on June 22 boarded a Riverside Transit Agency bus in Rubidoux and arrested five passengers on immigration charges, said Frank Amarillas, assistant chief patrol agent for the El Centro Border Patrol sector, which includes the Riverside office. Suzanne Foster, executive director of the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center and an organizer of today's 11 a.m. rally, said questioning people on a bus violates the privacy of passengers, including legal residents and citizens, and inconveniences them, making them late for work or appointments. "It restricts everyone's freedom of movement," she said. Debbie LeAnce, a volunteer with the San Bernardino Community Service Center, an immigrant-assistance group, said she talked with a 17-year-old boy who was deported to Mexicali after being arrested on the bus. The boy said agents ordered that bus doors be closed so no one could leave. Bradley Weaver, a spokesman for the transit agency, said this was the first time he heard Border Patrol agents boarded an agency bus. "As a public agency, we're compelled to allow federal agents to conduct their business without obstruction," he said. No passengers filed complaints, he said. Agent Alicia Ramirez, a Border Patrol spokeswoman, said agents boarded the bus after they tried to detain a "suspicious male" who was walking in the area. The suspect ran, and agents believed he had boarded the bus, she said. Agents did not find the man but spotted five other people who "were acting a little suspiciously," she said. Amarillas declined to reveal how the initial suspect and the five arrestees were acting suspiciously, saying it could tip off illegal immigrants as how to avoid arrest. Amarillas said the Border Patrol does not typically board local buses. Emilio Amaya, executive director of the San Bernardino center, said he believes the Border Patrol made up the story about the fleeing suspect to justify boarding the bus. "They will always come up with any excuse to satisfy a legal requirement," he said. http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/storiesIPE News Local S raidsO2.38e2509.html 7/13/2009