Michelle Malkin Gets Results

A vicious gang consisting chiefly of Central American illegal aliens, MS13, whom I've only heard about via Michelle, is hit by a major law enforcement sweep.

100 members nabbed. And they're no sweethearts:

"MS is not a gang, it's an army," said Officer Frank Flores, a gang expert with the Los Angeles Police Department, who says MS-13 membership numbers in the tens of thousands nationwide. "Within the United States, these guys pose as much a threat to the well being of ordinary citizens as any foreign terrorist group."

And maybe we're waking up:

One problem with dealing with criminal illegal immigrants, law enforcement officials say, is that cities like Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and New York have either written or understood "sanctuary" policies that prohibit their law enforcement officers from asking a suspect about his immigration status. This makes it difficult for police officers to work with federal immigration authorities until an illegal immigrant commits a crime.

The thinking is that illegal immigrants who lead normal and productive lives would be unwilling to approach the police as witnesses if they feared that they, too, would be deported.

The problem is especially acute in Los Angeles, where gang members often return after being deported. Local police officers may know a criminal by face, but until they catch him in an illegal act, he is allowed to remain on the streets.

But a new era may be dawning in the fight against gangs, as police departments like Los Angeles's share street intelligence with the federal authorities.

"You think an immigrant Hispanic family who is here illegally would mind if we targeted the violent criminal?" Capt. Michael Downing, commander of the Hollywood precinct, asked. "I don't. But every time you mention it, they say it's a slippery slope and so the violent criminal is tolerated."

And check out Kaus and 4 Cowboys. Seems the LA Times reported this story, but "forgot" to mention that MS13 had been allowed to function in the US with cities serving as a sanctuary, and this sweep seems to indicate a strong law enforcement response to that.

Vid Update: Trey has video of Malkin talking about MS-13.

posted by Ace at 01:22 PM

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