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ICE training results in three arrests in Framingham Friday, August 1, 2008
Liz Mineo 508-626-3825 Metrowest Daily News
FRAMINGHAM -- When police sent two officers for training to enforce immigration laws last summer, opponents of illegal immigration praised the move and advocates decried it, saying it would lead to sweeps, raids and arrests.

Nearly a year after the 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, police said only three men have been arrested under the program.

All three hailed from Brazil and were connected to violent gangs. They have been deported.

For the police, the three arrests since August last year, when the agreement was approved, highlight the department's efforts to use the program by focusing only on dangerous foreign-born criminals - not as a means for sweeping immigration enforcement.

"There are people who think we should expand the 287(g) program and use it every time we come across an illegal immigrant," said Lt. Paul Shastany, spokesman for the department. "We're not doing that. We're using the program as an investigative tool, not as an immigration-enforcement tool."

Offered by ICE to state and local law enforcement agencies, the program trains and authorizes officers to act as immigration officials. But it is designed to focus on criminal aliens - foreigners suspected of a state crime that is more than a traffic offense - and doesn't allow officers to conduct random street operations, investigate day laborers or question the immigration status of anyone.

Framingham Police are only doing what the program calls for, Shastany said.

"We're using it to unmask criminals who are preying upon other immigrants and who otherwise would be undetected," he said. "Now we can find out their real identities through the databases, and remove them before they commit a crime."

Prior to the program, police didn't have access to federal databases with information about criminal aliens, who might be violent felons, human or drug smugglers, gang members or immigration fugitives. Many of them use aliases and their names don't show up in state and FBI databases, which are most often used by local police departments.

According to Framingham Police, the three men arrested under the program were Brazilian natives Marcilei Caetano, 24, and Joelson G. Fonseca, 21, both formerly of Framingham. Police said Caetano and Fonseca were local members of a violent gang known in Rio de Janeiro "Amigos dos Amigos," or Friends of Friends, also known by its initials A.D.A.

The third man, according to Framingham police, Bruno Cesar DeOliveira, 19, was arrested in Framingham on drug charges. He was deported to Brazil, where he was later murdered.

Across the country, other law enforcement agencies have used the program extensively. In Orange Country, Calif., between January and March 2007, officers conducted 1,508 interviews that resulted in 1,004 immigration detainers, according to immigration officials. Of those, 659 were for felony charges and 71 were affiliated with street gangs.

A report published in The City Paper in Nashville said that in Davidson County, Tenn., more than 3,500 illegal immigrants were identified by the program in 2007. Of those, 60 were alleged gang members and several have committed violent crimes, including murder. In both places immigrant advocates have criticized the agencies, saying they have used the program as an immigration dragnet.

In MetroWest, immigrant supporters shared those concerns when they first learned Framingham Police had entered an agreement with ICE. Ilton Lisboa, an advocate for Brazilian immigrants, acknowledged the program created some controversy within the Brazilian community.

"I was really concerned when I first heard about it," said Lisboa, who works in Marlborough and has a radio program in Framingham. "But the Framingham Police have been very careful. They focus only on criminals and people involved in violent crimes and they're not using the program to identify illegal immigrants. I'd be the first one to criticize the police if they start enforcing immigration laws."

Other advocates still worry the program spreads fear among immigrants.

"It opens the door for abuses and racial profiling," said Fausto Da Rocha, executive director of the Brazilian Immigrant Center in Allston. "I was very struck when I learned the Framingham Police had decided to do that program given the large Brazilian population that lives there."

In a previous interview, Police Chief Steven Carl said he signed the agreement so the town could be better prepared to fight rising gang activity in the immigrant community. The two officers who received the training are members of the police street crime unit. One speaks Spanish, and the other speaks Portuguese.

"We're trying to help the community, not alienate it," Shastany said. "We want to protect the community by removing criminals. We want to decrease crime and victimization."

Only two other agencies in Massachusetts have taken part in the 287(g) program: the state Department of Correction and the Barnstable County's Sheriff Office.

The Government Accountability Office is working on a report about how law enforcement agencies across the country are using the program. A government researcher contacted Framingham Police for information about its operations, said Shastany.

As of now, more than 700 officers across the country have received training. Since 2006, immigration officials said, the program has been credited with identifying more than 60,000 people, mostly in jails, who are suspected of being in the country illegally. More than 25,000 people have been arrested.

"The trust between the immigrant community and the Framingham Police Department has increased dramatically," Carl said in an e-mail. "I would not attribute this solely to the 287(g) program but the totality of our strategies to develop a safe, healthy and crime-free community for all."


Brittanicus

If we don't force House leader Nancy Pelosi and host of genuflecting Democrats to sponsor the federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088). The illegal immigration occupation of our nation will never stop. ICE letting illegal aliens voluntary leave at their own accord, but Lets-be-honest how long before, their climbing that fence again? All we need is the Mandatory E-verify system to make employers comply with our laws. If you listen to the rhetoric and lies, the Democrats say it doesn't work? Then why does the Fed's use to extract illegal aliens from their employment. Want to learn more? http://www.timesgazette.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=155652

They will keep coming and taxpayers will keep having to support them and the pariah businesses that attract them. Without the SAVE ACT enacted, not even a border fence will stop them? Once they get Obama or McCains Amnesty, millions more just waiting in third world countries will expect a welcome. They have powerful influences including the Church, corporate opportunists and ethnic caucuses. a whole list of Special Interest lobbyists.

Then not even the US border patrol, the National Guard or the regular army, navy, air force will stop the tsunami. It will be like a ever increasing swarm of human locusts, that eat everything financial in sight.

Your wages will go down, when your jobs are given to cheap foreign labor. The globalist, open-border free traders will have won. Overpopulation will be a paramount stigma that will not be irreversible. After November election it will be far too late. NUMBERSUSA to fax free your representative


hjwolfe

Wow! After five weeks of training each and six months pass by, the police actually do anything at all!

http://www.abetterframingham.org/mineo12.html

The speed at which government works amazes me..

An organization which combines the maximum of effort with the minimum of results.

Maybe next year, we can snag another 3 illegal aliens in our population of 10,000-15,000. illegals. Never mind that they costs us over $25 million per year in Plyler vs Doe costs.

Don't work too hard, guys! Thanks!

Steven Carl's official police sanctuary policy is what the illegals like.

http://www.abetterframingham.org/police-illegal-policy.html

We no ask, you no tell!


01848

'we are using it to unmask criminals who are preying apon other immigrants.' ............ how about protecting us regular folk....you know the ones who are paying the taxes for your salaries? 'i'd be the first to criticize the police if they started enforving immigration laws'.....isn't another name for police LAW ENFORCEMENT? what is so wrong with an immigration emforcement tool? 'we want to reduce crime and victimization'....how about reducing the crime of illegal entrance into this country and the continued victimization of the taxpayer burdoned by it's costs?


Rollo

Yes it's about time, But I bet if they looked harder they could find a lot of them preying on americans. Only three is not looking very hard. It is time to round them ALL up and DEPORT them.


dentet

1 year... 3 arrests. That's avg 1 arrest every 4 months. Breathtaking.

In this same period, I wonder how many speeding tickets were handed out?


Gerhardt

Lt. Paul Shastany and the rest of the department, should be brought up on charges and kicked of the department for not doing there job . Framingham and other local police departments have basically made it a policy not to arrest illegal aliens for anything except murder and that is a maybe. The Framingham police department should have to payback the tax dollars it cost to send these officers to ICE training. Arresting 3 people in 6 months, when illegal aliens are running around town like fly's is ridiculous. So much for protect and serve the community.


Lippy

I love this comment ' I'd be the first one to criticize the police if they start enforcing immigration laws.'!

Is this the new America where laws can be broken and the lawbreakers get to complain because the police are doing what they are paid for? Since when do illegals get to tell anybody how not to bother them just because they are breaking the law. The majority of these illegals work under the table and pay few if any taxes, get food stamps, drive without any license and insurance and then stand in line to send money out of the country at Western Union stores. WOW can you see us heading towards being a third world country on a fast track.


fiveO

First, the Officer's who are trained to enforce ICE rules have been a part of far more than three arrests since they were trained. These arrests may have been done without ICE assistance which is usually the case. Second, The police put ICE Detaineers on illegals on a weekly basis in this town but it never gets press so please don't tell us we are doing nothing.

I agree the person telling the story should be more straight forward with people. I bet we have been a part of placing over 100 detaineers on illegals within the past year.

Don't forget, as local Law Enforcement, are hands are tied when it comes to enforcing Federal Laws.


American

WOW! 1 year, 3 arrests. The numbers overwhelm me. As a tax payer, I want my money back that was spent on two( wow two) officers for training to enforce immigration laws .287(g) program.

'highlight the department's efforts to use the program by focusing only on dangerous foreign-born criminals - not as a means for sweeping immigration enforcement.'

In other words,if you did not break TOO many laws in your country, you can come to framingham and break our laws, like immigration laws,driveing with no license, tax evasion, forged documents,(ask Luciney Dossantos) black-market pharmacies, illegal liposuction surgery in basements, its all ok, as long as your not a gang member or drug dealer.

And 01848 is right 'how about protecting us regular folk'...what is it going to take, some illegal who is not a drug dealer or gang member to hurt or kill an American in this town,before our keystone police department will enforce ALL laws.

As a US citizen, and a citizen of the town of Framingham, and the state of Massachusetts I have to obey ALL the laws, or the keystone cops will arrest me. Law breaking illegals only have to obey SOME of the laws, and ALL of the laws of the country they left.....or the two keystone cops who were trained with the 287(g) program MIGHT arrest them. It does not pay to be American in this town, if you are American, you just pay.

Once again Liz Mineo left out the key word out of her story .'ILLEGAL'........


mama

What's up with this Liz Mineo???? Does she not know the meaning of 'ILLEGAL'??????


American

fiveO 'Don't forget, as local Law Enforcement, are hands are tied when it comes to enforcing Federal Laws.'

No they are not, the FPD are out looking for a bank robber ( The MetroWest Daily News Posted Jul 31, 2008) and bank robbery is a federal crime.....so there hands are NOT tied when it comes to enforcing federal laws.

There hands are tied due to the town of Framinghams sanctuary policies. Since the town of Framingham says that the FPD can not enforce federal laws, such as immigration laws,'leave immigration laws to I.C.E'...then leave 'bank robbery to the F.B.I'

To bad our 'town goverment' is like our federal goverment, wont hear the American people, well they hear us, they just ignore us.


Morethanaviewer

'Prior to the program, police didn't have access to federal databases with information about criminal aliens, who might be violent felons, human or drug smugglers, gang members or immigration fugitives. Many of them use aliases and their names don't show up in state and FBI databases...'

So police departments who have not had this training have no way of knowing what or who they are dealing with on the street? What is the benefit of witholding this information from local law enforcement?


American

Morethanaviewer 'What is the benefit of witholding this information from local law enforcement?'

----------------------------------------

To protected the 'poor immigrants'...not the US citizens...just the 'poor immigrants'


elopez

boo hoo every one crying.


RAS

'Framingham Police are only doing what the program calls for, Shastany said.'

'We're using it to unmask criminals who are preying upon other immigrants and who otherwise would be undetected,' he said. 'Now we can find out their real identities through the databases, and remove them before they commit a crime.'

Have they not already committed a crime by entering the country illegally?


badnews

Framingham Police - you should be ashamed.
and, what are the state police doing these days? why can't they train a bunch of platoons to go out and bully these illegals and get them the hell out of here!

Maybe all us americans should invade brazil and take it over, let all the brazilians come here and live in poverty. I hear Brazil is beautiful. No snow to shovel! Good idea huh?


MH

As to the history and affiliations of NumbersUSA, see:
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?pid=183

Short form: Nazi ties, unreliable data.


mwresident

re. American
Robbing a bank violates both Federal and Local laws so that isn't a valid analogy. In any case, how could local police enforce immigration laws? did you people think this through? How can a police officer tell the difference between a legal and an illegal immigrant. They all look the same. Are they supposed to stop all non-whites / colored people / latinos etc and ask for ID? what if they forgot their ID at home, should they arrest them for not having proper ID ... What if it is in fact a legal alien, hello lawsuit. Now i agree that once an illegal alien is arrested the local police should then have the authority to find out about immigration status and have the federal authorities start deportation procedures. But we can't just start rounding up people based on skin color and accents like some people here want. That would be anti constitutional.


fiveO

Re: American Some of us are cops and have been for years. We know how to enforce the laws of the US and the Commonwealth. That is why we are the Police and you are a Monday morning quarterback who has no clue. The FBI rarely gets involved with Bank cases anymore. I know this because I have arrested and put away Bank Robbery suspects a few times. Know what you are talking about before you make a fool of yourself.


jjrizo

Comments are right on!

Bottom line.................. Framingham is becoming more dangerous everyday. The police are doing a half *** job, and do more to protect the rights of illegal aliens than protect the lives of American Citizens.

They spend more time watching my brother and I when we video tape than looking a for crimaliens.

JR


Illuminati

I am repulsed by this story and the waste of tax dollars. The police are not doing their job to enforce the laws of this country.

Did anyone else notice that the man they deported was later murdered, which clearly states how dangerous he was and a threat to our community!!! He was here and in a gang which means there are more living amongst us. We are not safe.

As well, Ilton Lisboa is a coyote harboring illegal aliens and should be arrested and charged as such.


dentet

fiveO, sounds to me like you should have a talk with the reporter and clarify exactly how many illegals have been arrested and turned over to ICE. How many were arrested for their illegal status, and how many were arrested for other crimes and found to be illegal. I'm willing to cut slack that the reporter is off-base, but you folks need to clearly explain yourselves with actual data, not guesstimates.

regards


American

mwresident, How can a police officer tell the difference between a legal and an illegal immigrant. did you think this through?

If they dont have a drivers license when stopped, that could be a clue, what made the police think that Luciney Dossantos was illegal, how about if they try the fake name trick? or they find more then 1 then one ID....What if it is in fact a legal alien?? then they would have nothing to hide.

Did you think this through?

what if they forgot their ID at home? last I heard it is a law in this country, if you are over 18, you are supposed to carry ID. They can detain someone for not haveing ID (and dont tell me they cant)

untill someone can bring proof that this person is who he/she says she is. so NO 'hello lawsuit'

I could be wanted in a different state/ country, be stopped 'Reasonable suspicion', aka they can stop you if they want, tell the police 'I forgot my ID @ home.' give them someone else name, someone I know that is not wanted and be on my way.....wrong like I said 'over 18, You must carry some form of ID, Do you know what Vagrancy Charges are?....last I knew, and this is going back a few years, someone had to have valid ID and minimum $5.00 in their pocket or could be arrested on Vagrancy,

I worked a job a few years back in Franklin, 2nd shift, 4pm till the work was done, and that ment 2:30 - 3:00am done time, I was on My way home one Friday night and was stopped on 135 by the Hopkington PD. Why?reasonable suspicion...it was 3:30 in the morning, asked for license & reg. ask were I was coming from, told him work, and told him of my hours, asked 'have you been drinking'?, said no, he came back to the car gave me back my license & reg. and said have a good night. I was not stopped because of my skin color, or race, I was stopped because of reasonable suspicion.

I did not take it as a racist thing. It was reasonable suspicion, and I undrstand that.

You could be standing in front of store 24 at 2 in the afternoon or 2 in the morning, right by the sign that says ' No Loitering Police Take Notice'...and be stopped and asked for ID. If you do not have any, you can be detained and taking to the PD and locked up. All the police have to say is 'he was loitering and had no valid ID.'

No im not saying stop all who look 'non-American', yet there are 'white' people in this country who are just as illegal as Luciney Dossantos

This has nothing to do with skin color or race, it is illegal immigration and law enforcement, or, in this case lack of law enforcement.

But do remember, You must carry some form of valid ID, or you can be arrested....and no lawsuit.

did you think this through?


American

fiveO...if you are a real cop, your not doing a good job.


mwresident

re American,

Once again, when police stops you they have a reason to do so. Once they do for a reason other than suspicion of being illegal they SHOULD be able to verify your ID etc and detain you. What police CAN NOT do is start stopping people solely on suspicion of being illegal. That would be racial profiling and would be illegal and against the principles of the constitution. If people start getting stopped by the police because 'you look illegal' it is a very slippery slope. Obviously you don't look illegal so you don't care about your fellow American citizens that are of a different race or ethnicity.


jjb

Why did the police only arrest 3 men from the gang? Are we to believe that the gang consisted of only 3 people?

Fausto & Ilton are worried about this causing fear among the immigrants! Legal immigrants have nothing to fear... Those that are here illegally should be sent home. Too bad the police aren't doing their job. These people committed & continue to commit crimes by living here. The fact they are here illegally should be enough to have them deported. Who does this country belong to anyways? The Americans and immigrants who are here legally or the ILLEGALS?

Seems to me Framingham now belongs to the illegals and when the police state they are only going against criminals and people involved in violent crimes they're basically saying the rest of the illegals are ok!

'We're trying to help the community, not alienate it,' Shastany said. 'We want to protect the community by removing criminals. We want to decrease crime and victimization.' Help the community and decrease crime by getting rid of ALL ILLEGALS!


American

mwresident, You twisted around everyting I said and read between the lines, I did not say they can stop you because you 'look illegal', I said is is called 'Reasonable suspicion'. And yes they can, Not because of skin color, 'Reasonable suspicion', Why was I stoped @ 3:30 in the morning on my way home? I was not all over the road as if I was DUI,I was not speeding, I did nothing wrong, it was 'Reasonable suspicion' The cop did not see me till he came to my car window, I dont think he was saying,' must be an illegal driving @ 3:30 am...better stop him, oh wait an american, I will let him go', He took my ID and check who I was and made sure no warrents and so on. I was not let go for being an American, I was let go because I did nothing wrong. Having an ID is part of public safety, I am not saying ,'Lets stop that brown skin person and see if they are illegal', but if someone is stoped and can not give the police an ID, then there is somthing wrong here,maybe. It is not about race it is about illegal immigration and the fact that the town of Framingham will do nothing about it.


Gerhardt

fiveO There are so many ways you could bust these people with out going into federal laws as you put it. The problem is you choose not to. Maybe it's the paper work that follows or it's the fact you had to get out of your car or because you consider it racial profiling . whatever the case maybe your not doing your job. End of story!!!


Buffy

Yeah, fiveO, you're doing a terrible job! You should let all these smart ones here take your place. Clearly they know your job better than you yourself do and would be much more efficient and hardworking. They'd have this town cleaned up immediately!

Actually, why don't you all put your money where your mouth is and apply to take the civil service exam. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you!


Don Malo

FPD_ 'We're not doing that. We're using the program as an investigative tool, not as an immigration-enforcement tool.'

oh, ok, .

Wait,..........................WHAT?????? WHY NOT ???????


Illuminati

I think Lt. Paul Shastany should be investigated for dereliction of duty and possible corruption charges. Obviously he is getting something out of this scenario that we the general public whom he servers are not. Something does not seem right here. People charged and paid to perform a service not doing it; something is very wrong.

Who has the authority?


MH

American: There is a law requiring a person who's operating a motor vehicle to have a valid driver's license on or about their person. There is recently a requirement that people boarding interstate transportation be able to present a state-issued ID. There is **no** law requiring anyone else to carry ID in this country. I had that drilled into me when I was a kid: This is a free country, we do not have national ID or internal passports. It may be prudent to carry ID wherever you go -- and I usually do -- but if I put a dollar and my housekey in my pocket and walk down to the corner store to pick up a newspaper I'm not breaking any law.


MH

Illuminati,

That someone gets murdered doesn't mean *they* did anything wrong. It means somebody else did something wrong.

Many people who are here w/o docs are here for pressing reasons -- they're effectively refugees. This doesn't mean they've committed any crime. It might mean that they'd witnessed one, and that someone was looking for them. It might mean a relative did something & people were out for vengeance. It might mean that their family members were on the losing side in a not-yet-forgotten civil war.

One of the things that people in the US tend to lose track of when they start hollering 'Deport them all!' is that some percentage of deportations are actually death sentences. The US is very mingy about who gets refugee/asylee status, and at times very irresponsible about whom we return to life-threatening situations.

I do not believe in private vengeance. I certainly do not believe that the fact that someone got murdered means they were a criminal.


BobbyT

Lt. you have to be nuts. Your town is loaded with illegal aliens. You better start looking at your stats for how many aliens that your department arrests per year. Even if they are legal aliens they are still deportable for convictions on dope charges, robbery, ag assault , sex crimes, ID theft etc...

The illegals are easier to deport, but your guys had the full immigration law training to do the paperwork for either depotable legal or illegal.

The old saying of it's a federal problem has long past. The number of criminal aliens is astounding, and that makes it everyones problem. Why don't you be a force multiplier, and go after as many criminal aliens that you can. Send a message YOUR TOWN IS GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! Win America back.

Take a look at www.alienpredators.com and you'll get the idea. Why not go into your state search engine for registered sex offenders, and have your 287(g) trained cops check and see how many are deportable? I dare you to show me a single credible study that proves people won't report crime, if you enforce all of the laws. By god it's your country man, protect it!


fiveO

RE: American
I wish I could tell you my true identity but I would be violating policy. You have no clue what you are talking about when it comes to Law Enforcement and the terms used within our job. You can't be stopped just because you are driving down the street. You must have a lot more. Just maybe the cop stopped you for speeding , checked you out and let you go. That happens hundreds of times a day in my job.

Thank God they leave the Police work to those of us who are trained. I agree that all illegals should be shipped out but we have many other issues to deal with on a daily basis. If we come across an illegal we put a detainer on them, every time. So, yes we are enforcing the laws and we do it every day. Call teh Chief and ask to come and see what it is like to be a cop every day of the week. You don't have the stones to do what I do on a daily basis.


jjb

MH

Many people who are here w/o docs are here for personal reasons as well and I would guess most of them if not all in Framingham are not refugees.

I bet the US gets lots of requests for refugee status but let's be honest... what war is occurring in Brazil right now?

They don't want to live in the shanty towns of Brazil or they are running away from personal problems. The fact that Bruno was murdered is probably irrelevant to the fact that he was deported. More then likely it had something to do with drugs and who's to say that had he stayed here he wouldn't have met the same fate?


RAS

MH said: 'One of the things that people in the US tend to lose track of when they start hollering 'Deport them all!' is that some percentage of deportations are actually death sentences. The US is very mingy about who gets refugee/asylee status, and at times very irresponsible about whom we return to life-threatening situations.'

MH, you seem to think that the United States has some sort of obligation to protect people from around the globe from problems in their own country. Please explain why you think this is the case.

MH said: 'Many people who are here w/o docs are here for pressing reasons -- they're effectively refugees. This doesn't mean they've committed any crime. It might mean that they'd witnessed one, and that someone was looking for them. It might mean a relative did something & people were out for vengeance. It might mean that their family members were on the losing side in a not-yet-forgotten civil war.'

First off they've committed a crime by violating U.S. immigration laws. Secondly, I really don't think that any of your assertations fit the profile of the average illegal immigrant from Brazil who is here in Framingham. Take a look at these articles written in this very paper by the lovely and talented Ms. Liz Mineo.

The Mineo Files

Streets paved with gold? What friggin' civil war? The Brazilians are here for one thing and one thing only and that's money. All they want is to take as much money out of here as possibe and bring it back to Brazil.


jjrizo

RAs

Great points!

The Brazilians are modern day Gypsies that are scamming us in 'let me count the ways'. Just think if they were'nt here how peacefull things would be. Visit the local court some day and see how many illegal are there.

They alone keep the police pretty busy.

JR


01746

American, so there you are driving down the street at 3:30AM and you have done nothing wrong - so as you report. If you did nothing wrong why the hell were you stopped in the first place then? Your comment simply does not make much sense. And by the way, it's OUI not DUI


femalemilfordresident

The Framingham Police are doing a GREAT JOB keep it up an BE SAFE!


PapaT

The police chief should either do his job or be brought up on charges if he's willing to ignore his oath as an officer of the law. He's no better than the scourge of illegals he panders to and the moonbat wackjobs who's boots he licks

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