Maine Bends Sinister

This article from a The Bangor Daily News proves the dangers inherent in local law enforcement’s attempting to police immigration law in the course of regular duties. It seems an officer pulled over a vehicle carrying several Mexican men "after noticing a broken window" (presumably on the vehicle), which seems like a rather strange reason to make a traffic stop. Three of the men were arrested on the spot, though on what grounds the article does not make clear. (The driver was found to not have a U.S. driver's license, however that's not always grounds for arrest.) The other seven "will be questioned to determine whether they have committed an administrative immigration violation". Evidence came second to suspicion in this case -- just as some critics of local immigration enforcement worried it would. It seems that we in the land of the free and home of the brave must now carry identification papers at all times or risk arrest -- even though we don’t have a national ID. And the men are apparently here making Christmas wreaths. This sounds like a distopian novel by some morose Eastern European writer.

The article also mentions that earlier this year, the same police department made a similar batch of arrests after stopping a car that didn't have a license plate. In that case, "None of the passengers spoke English, prompting Ellsworth police to call immigration officials." Enough said.

Technorati tags: Immigration, Politics, Border, House, GOP,Maine, Illegal, Christmas, English.