Crime

Van Driver Ticketed 2 Years Ago, ICE Investigates

(WCCO) Now that immigration authorities have determined the van driver, who identified herself as Alianiss Nunez Morales, is in the United States illegally, they've taken the first step toward possibly deporting her. Immigration authorities are investigating the woman, even though they don't know her real name.

The woman has said she's from Mexico, but she's not saying much more. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to take her into custody eventually.

The four felonies she's accused of are punishable by up to 10 years in prison. If convicted, she'd serve time in the U.S., and then afterward she would face possible deportation.

"And perhaps the most effective tool is that we are very skilled at interviewing in determining someone's legal status. It is a rare occurrence when it takes us very long to figure out who somebody actually is," said Tim Counts, an ICE spokesman.

On Friday, officials were asked why the suspect didn't come to their attention as an illegal immigrant sooner because she was ticketed two years ago.

"The person that had called reported that she apparently was driving in a yard. The caller did say that it appeared she did not know how to drive very well," said Montevideo Police Chief Adam Christopher, the city that first pulled over Morales in 2006.

She paid a $187 fine for driving without a license in Montevideo. She wasn't questioned about her immigration status during the traffic stop.

"Common sense would dictate that if it's something that pertains to the case of the day we would ask it. If it doesn't pertain we wouldn't," said Christopher. He said his department might face some kind of civil rights lawsuit if officers did so.

"I would think that we would be subject to some civil rights penalty type things if we just selecting people of a Latin persuasion to ask if they are legally in this country or not," he said.

Local law enforcement can call immigration authorities to ask them to check immigration status of any suspect at any time. However, officials say most police departments wouldn't make such a call after a routine traffic stop.

Authorities don't know why the suspect is using an alias. In other cases, authorities routinely see illegal immigrants using an alias as a way to obtain documents needed for employment.

 

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