INS officials defend their actions, denying that agents are heavy-handed or out of control. The problems go beyond excessive use of firearms, advocates claim. Group after group claims to have evidence of abusive tactics, including hitting, kicking and sexual assault. As an example, she recalls the case of a Haitian client who lives in Palm Beach County who was told to come to the INS offices to pick up residency papers. When he arrived, agents arrested him for being an illegal alien.
Wives are often unable to keep up the mortgage payments after their husbands have been taken away.
Kids are forced to leave school. Jobs are lost. Cardona disputes that. The agency has reduced its backlog of immigration applications from 1.8 million to 1.3 million in the last year, she said. A search warrant is not needed if the team is merely trying to apprehend someone without a criminal background, and its members usually holster their weapons.