Police Deport Mother for Reporting a Crime

Ralph de la Cruz writes for the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting:

In late February 2009, Rita Cote, a mother of four, called police in the Central Florida town of Tavares because her sister was allegedly attacked by her boyfriend. But when police showed up, rather than focus on the actual crime, they turned on Cote, who doesn’t speak English.

Tavares is located in Lake County. And the Lake County sheriff, appropriately named Gary Borders, had campaigned on the promise that he would deport undocumented immigrants.

The police demanded to see Cote’s papers, and when she only offered a bank identification card, they arrested her. Read more…

bh