Eleven detained in Columbia Roundup causes fear among the undocumented By Osamu Fujimaru Adelante Staff Writer The arrests of several undocumented Mexican immigrants by the Immigration and Naturalization Service on Thursday, April 4, in Columbia has created a commotion among the Hispanics living in the city. Rumors flew around with regard to the number of people arrested. Some said it was 16. Others said it was eight. There was even a rumor that six more were arrested the next day. The truth is that in the Columbia area the INS arrested eight undocumented Mexicans and three non-Hispanic immigrants who violated their immigration status, according to Mike Jaromin, deputy director of the INS Kansas City Office. Jaromin said the INS agents had been working in the city all week, and the arrests were made at several different times. All the witnesses Adelante contacted agreed that the arrested Mexicans were put in a black van. One witness said the only thing that identified them as law enforcement agents was their guns. The Columbia Police Department assisted the INS agents in a support role — for example, by letting them use its facilities — but didn’t actively investigate the case or make any arrest. The arrests seem to have frightened away some Hispanics living near the scene of the roundup. One apartment was abandoned the next night, according to a source who also lives near the scene of the arrests. He said the escaped residents of the apartment left the front door wide open, so he could see the inside of the apartment, which was almost emptied. He said he believes the residents were undocumented. In the wake of the roundup, some undocumented Mexicans in Columbia decided to go back to Mexico before the INS could arrest them. One Mexican who has been illegally working in the United States for more than a year said, even though he doesn’t want to go home, he’s leaving because he is afraid that he will lose all his possessions if the INS arrests him. Jaromin said deportees can bring with them up to 44 pounds of their belongings. They can also make arrangements with their family members and friends through phone calls to take care of the rest of their belongings. Many are speculating about the arrests, but no one seems to know the reason for them. Here’s one scenario shared by many: Two of those arrested had been to Isle of Capri Casino in Boonville. Casino employees noticed that the green cards they presented were false. The two were arrested and released with a court date. They didn’t show up in court so the INS came to arrest them. The agents arrested not only the two who had been to the casino but also several other undocumented immigrants who were at the scene of the arrests. The Boonville casino does not keep track of the number of undocumented immigrants found at the casino, but anyone with a false identification — whether that person is underage or an undocumented immigrant — is turned over to the Missouri Gaming Commission. The commission is a part of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, and its agents work at the state’s casinos. Jaromin said he can’t discuss with the media how the INS learned about the arrested undocumented immigrants, but he said the INS works closely with other law enforcement agencies. The INS receives leads from the gaming commission all the time, Jaromin added. Some Hispanic people are upset because they believe the INS arrested more people than it had originally intended to arrest. But Jaromin said it is not unusual for the INS to detain more than its original targets. He said the INS agents have the authority to question people’s immigration status. “And if they are illegal, we have the right to arrest them,” he said. Some are upset because they believe those arrested did not commit any serious crime besides their illegal entry into the country. To the question of whether the arrests involved a serious crime, Jaromin responded, “Not that I’m aware of.” Jaromin said in a previous interview that the INS does not normally respond to a report of an undocumented immigrant by local law enforcement, unless it involves a criminal activity, due to the agency’s limited resources. But he said this time, “That’s not always the case.”