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Congressional probe of Riverside Border Patrol office sought
10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 10, 2009
By DAVID OLSON
The Press Enterprise
The union representing U.S. Border Patrol agents is calling for a congressional investigation into the agency's Riverside office.
Lombardo Amaya, president of Local 2554 of the National Border Patrol Council, said he's frustrated that a Department of Homeland Security investigation of the office has not yielded results and might not be fair.
Homeland Security is investigating allegations that Ramon Chavez, patrol agent in charge of the Riverside office, enacted arrest quotas and punished agents who did not meet the quotas by repeatedly changing their schedules, a violation of agency rules. Border Patrol is part of Homeland Security.
The investigation is being conducted by the inspector general's office of Homeland Security, which was created as an independent investigatory arm. But Amaya said he wants someone outside Homeland Security to look into the charges.
"The investigation is not impartial," he said. "The department looks after the interests of the agency."
The query began more than four months ago. The inspector general's office does not discuss investigations or even confirm they exist, said Marty Metelko, a spokeswoman for the office. The Border Patrol, the union and current and former agents confirm that the inspector general's office is conducting an inquiry.
Chavez declined to comment. A spokesman for the El Centro Border Patrol sector, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties, did not return phone calls.
Amaya said the union plans to file a formal request for a congressional investigation later this month. Amaya said he wants Congress to also look into the firing of Agent Tony Plattel, who was let go in January for insubordination. Plattel was fired after he drove six suspected illegal immigrants from the Barstow area to Riverside against a supervisor's orders because, he said, five of the men were dehydrated, hungry and needed to use the bathroom. A Border Patrol letter dismissing Plattel denies he was punished for helping the men.
Plattel and the union claim a mandate from a supervisor that Plattel not return to Riverside until he had arrested more suspected illegal immigrants was part of Chavez's push to increase the number of arrests.
"Because of the media attention, they are careful about mentioning quotas now," Amaya said. But he said there is a continued emphasis on producing large numbers of arrests instead of a more time-consuming focus on illegal immigrants who are criminals, which is where he says the emphasis should be.
There has been a marked increase in the past week and a half in Border Patrol arrests at day-labor pick-up sites, Latin American markets and bus stations in the Inland area, said Jennaya Dunlap, who runs Romoland-based Rapid Response Network. The group monitors Border Patrol arrests and runs a hot line. Dunlap said she knows of about 20 arrests in San Bernardino alone.
Amaya has been calling for Chavez's removal for months.
The union last month filed two unfair labor practices complaints against the Riverside office, alleging in part that Chavez retaliated against two union representatives in the Riverside office for the union's public criticism of him and other supervisors, Amaya said.
One agent was switched to a different position and the other is subject to what the union believes is a bogus internal probe, he said.
One of the two agents had also complained to a supervisor about concerns that producing large numbers of arrests was more of a priority than investigating possible smuggling operations. The complaint also alleges that agents were being asked to stop people without probable cause, as required by law.
The complaint says that a supervisor ordered agents to pull over vehicles without explaining why. Agents are worried about legal liability, including a perception of racial profiling, the complaint says.
The Border Patrol in the past has denied allegations of racial profiling of Latinos.
10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 10, 2009
By DAVID OLSON
The Press Enterprise
The union representing U.S. Border Patrol agents is calling for a congressional investigation into the agency's Riverside office.
Lombardo Amaya, president of Local 2554 of the National Border Patrol Council, said he's frustrated that a Department of Homeland Security investigation of the office has not yielded results and might not be fair.
Homeland Security is investigating allegations that Ramon Chavez, patrol agent in charge of the Riverside office, enacted arrest quotas and punished agents who did not meet the quotas by repeatedly changing their schedules, a violation of agency rules. Border Patrol is part of Homeland Security.
The investigation is being conducted by the inspector general's office of Homeland Security, which was created as an independent investigatory arm. But Amaya said he wants someone outside Homeland Security to look into the charges.
"The investigation is not impartial," he said. "The department looks after the interests of the agency."
The query began more than four months ago. The inspector general's office does not discuss investigations or even confirm they exist, said Marty Metelko, a spokeswoman for the office. The Border Patrol, the union and current and former agents confirm that the inspector general's office is conducting an inquiry.
Chavez declined to comment. A spokesman for the El Centro Border Patrol sector, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties, did not return phone calls.
Amaya said the union plans to file a formal request for a congressional investigation later this month. Amaya said he wants Congress to also look into the firing of Agent Tony Plattel, who was let go in January for insubordination. Plattel was fired after he drove six suspected illegal immigrants from the Barstow area to Riverside against a supervisor's orders because, he said, five of the men were dehydrated, hungry and needed to use the bathroom. A Border Patrol letter dismissing Plattel denies he was punished for helping the men.
Plattel and the union claim a mandate from a supervisor that Plattel not return to Riverside until he had arrested more suspected illegal immigrants was part of Chavez's push to increase the number of arrests.
"Because of the media attention, they are careful about mentioning quotas now," Amaya said. But he said there is a continued emphasis on producing large numbers of arrests instead of a more time-consuming focus on illegal immigrants who are criminals, which is where he says the emphasis should be.
There has been a marked increase in the past week and a half in Border Patrol arrests at day-labor pick-up sites, Latin American markets and bus stations in the Inland area, said Jennaya Dunlap, who runs Romoland-based Rapid Response Network. The group monitors Border Patrol arrests and runs a hot line. Dunlap said she knows of about 20 arrests in San Bernardino alone.
Amaya has been calling for Chavez's removal for months.
The union last month filed two unfair labor practices complaints against the Riverside office, alleging in part that Chavez retaliated against two union representatives in the Riverside office for the union's public criticism of him and other supervisors, Amaya said.
One agent was switched to a different position and the other is subject to what the union believes is a bogus internal probe, he said.
One of the two agents had also complained to a supervisor about concerns that producing large numbers of arrests was more of a priority than investigating possible smuggling operations. The complaint also alleges that agents were being asked to stop people without probable cause, as required by law.
The complaint says that a supervisor ordered agents to pull over vehicles without explaining why. Agents are worried about legal liability, including a perception of racial profiling, the complaint says.
The Border Patrol in the past has denied allegations of racial profiling of Latinos.