Presentation by Ray Saylor, Chief Marshal of Milltown, Indiana to CU meeting on January 13, 2005
Fun fact: What is a coyote?
Marshal Saylor described the first law enforcement human smuggling case in Indiana, which took place in Harrison County in 2004. Though he gave no details, he described how for about five years a Mexican family in Corydon, Indiana, had been charging a fee to get people across the border to the US and then to find them local employment. Once in Corydon, the undocumented immigrants, many recruited by a family member in Mexico, were put in a house where they were charged for rent, supplies, telephone, TV, food and job placement. The rates for these items were so large that the aliens had to turn over their paychecks.
Their plight was discovered when one or two people thought their treatment wasn't right and complained to the Harrison County Sheriff's Department, where Deputy Marty McClanahan took over the case. After about two months and the involvement of Homeland Security (Immigration and Customs), the FBI and Secret Service, the smugglers were arrested and Federal charges were filed. Saylor insisted that the law enforcement emphasis was on stopping the abuse of these aliens, not on having them deported back to Mexico.
There's a lot more going on than we know.
Saylor urged private citizens, social service organizations and churches and ministers to be alert if an immigrant family seems to be constantly in need of clothes or supplies that don't fit their own use. Also, though the Hispanic culture embraces large families living together, a lot of turnover with many people under one roof might be a clue that this is a house where smuggled aliens are lodged in small cubicles. Saylor commented, "There's a lot more going on than we know." The interstates in the Kentuckiana area are main arteries for human smuggling. He cited physical and emotional abuse, including prostitution, that has been documented throughout the US, including rural areas.
Citizen organizations are becoming watchdogs, Saylor said. To help protect aliens' rights, these organizations are monitoring the court system and the Hispanic population to find people who are victims of crime. Stressing that illegal aliens have human and civil rights, he asserted that local law enforcement can investigate discretely and delicately with dignity. Saylor admitted however that local law enforcement does not have the time or funding for language and sensitivity training. Trustworthy interpreters and advocates for aliens are sorely needed.
All these people want is a better way of life for their families.
Saylor urged people who note a situation that could be abuse to call Marty McClanahan at the Harrison County Sheriff's Department or the Federal Government. Calling police with a complaint gives them a right to investigate, he said. Referring to the undocumented immigrants, he added, "All these people want is a better way of life for their families...The fact that they're illegal is not the priority of most law enforcement agents."
Saylor also referred people to several websites, including:
Fun fact answer: If you said a coyote is an American animal or a small wolf, you would be correct. A coyote is also a term used to describe a person who sneaks illegal aliens across the Mexico/USA border by various means, including grueling treks across the desert. When the aliens arrive in the US, they remain hidden in a holding area and then are secretly moved by car, van or even a hollowed-out tanker truck to job locations throughout the US.
Fun fact: What is a coyote?
Marshal Saylor described the first law enforcement human smuggling case in Indiana, which took place in Harrison County in 2004. Though he gave no details, he described how for about five years a Mexican family in Corydon, Indiana, had been charging a fee to get people across the border to the US and then to find them local employment. Once in Corydon, the undocumented immigrants, many recruited by a family member in Mexico, were put in a house where they were charged for rent, supplies, telephone, TV, food and job placement. The rates for these items were so large that the aliens had to turn over their paychecks.
Their plight was discovered when one or two people thought their treatment wasn't right and complained to the Harrison County Sheriff's Department, where Deputy Marty McClanahan took over the case. After about two months and the involvement of Homeland Security (Immigration and Customs), the FBI and Secret Service, the smugglers were arrested and Federal charges were filed. Saylor insisted that the law enforcement emphasis was on stopping the abuse of these aliens, not on having them deported back to Mexico.
There's a lot more going on than we know.
Saylor urged private citizens, social service organizations and churches and ministers to be alert if an immigrant family seems to be constantly in need of clothes or supplies that don't fit their own use. Also, though the Hispanic culture embraces large families living together, a lot of turnover with many people under one roof might be a clue that this is a house where smuggled aliens are lodged in small cubicles. Saylor commented, "There's a lot more going on than we know." The interstates in the Kentuckiana area are main arteries for human smuggling. He cited physical and emotional abuse, including prostitution, that has been documented throughout the US, including rural areas.
Citizen organizations are becoming watchdogs, Saylor said. To help protect aliens' rights, these organizations are monitoring the court system and the Hispanic population to find people who are victims of crime. Stressing that illegal aliens have human and civil rights, he asserted that local law enforcement can investigate discretely and delicately with dignity. Saylor admitted however that local law enforcement does not have the time or funding for language and sensitivity training. Trustworthy interpreters and advocates for aliens are sorely needed.
All these people want is a better way of life for their families.
Saylor urged people who note a situation that could be abuse to call Marty McClanahan at the Harrison County Sheriff's Department or the Federal Government. Calling police with a complaint gives them a right to investigate, he said. Referring to the undocumented immigrants, he added, "All these people want is a better way of life for their families...The fact that they're illegal is not the priority of most law enforcement agents."
Saylor also referred people to several websites, including:
- humantrafficking.com
- The US State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/fs/35011.htm
- The US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division "Guide for Non-governmental Organizations on Trafficking in Persons at www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/wetf/trafficbrochure.html
- Remarks from the fourth annual Human Smuggling and Illegal Migration Conference at www.2500aday.com/2500_mainindex/humantrfrpt.html
- A Washington Post article on "People Smuggling Now Big Business in Mexico" at www.earthops.net/immigration/human-cargo1.html
Fun fact answer: If you said a coyote is an American animal or a small wolf, you would be correct. A coyote is also a term used to describe a person who sneaks illegal aliens across the Mexico/USA border by various means, including grueling treks across the desert. When the aliens arrive in the US, they remain hidden in a holding area and then are secretly moved by car, van or even a hollowed-out tanker truck to job locations throughout the US.