The fisherman goes where the fish are

From The Chicago Tribune:

Imagine federal agents bursting into Water Tower Place or the Oakbrook Center mall in a crime sting. Imagine them holding up photos of white male suspects and comparing them with the white men present in the store. Imagine them kicking open the doors of the ladies room with their guns drawn.

If you were an innocent shopper or bystander in the mall, wouldn't you be outraged?

This is essentially what witnesses reported after a sting last week by federal agents at a strip mall in the heart of Chicago's Mexican neighborhood known as La Villita, or Little Village.

The authorities were searching for 22 people linked to a $2 million fake-ID operation. The suspects were charged with mail fraud, conspiracy and other crimes; two were charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

To be sure, the authorities should go after such criminals. But to do so in such a public way essentially criminalized the innocent shoppers and families in the strip mall, which includes a thrift store, a pharmacy and a health clinic.

The ill-timed and poorly-executed raid further fueled the raging debate over immigration. As Congress considers whether to give legal status—temporary or permanent—to the 12 million undocumented workers living in the U.S., immigrant-rights groups will take to the streets of American cities on Tuesday to call attention to the need for immigration reform.

Anybody who walks by this strip mall knows that in the large parking lot and nearby streets one can easily buy a fake green card, Social Security number or driver's license. Illegal vendors shout "Micas! Micas!" the Spanish slang for green cards. It has been that way for more than a decade.

Do you suppose that if drug dealers stood about openly in Oakbrook Center or Water Tower Place openly selling heroin and rock cocaine that police might just conduct a drug sweep there? And if you say that the merchants and customers at those upscale Chicago locations would never tolerate pushers hawking their wares openly right under their noses you begin to understand why the comparison is ridiculous.

If criminals moved into middle or upper class areas of any American city and began operating out in the open and attracting more ciminals the middle or upper class citizens (mo matter their race) would burn up the phones to the police the mayor and the city counsel demanding that something be done and right damn now!

In the Mexican community criminals conducting business of fraud and identity theft operate openly with the support of even the legal residents and citizens. How many complaints do you suppose that the Chicago Police or Immigration and Customs Enforcement received from merchants and shoppers at La Villita about the criminals standing around shouting "Micas, Micas"? And in the unlikely event that someone in the Mexican community did cooperate with law enforcement what do you suppose the reaction of the other members of the community would be if that knowledge became public?

In the world of white America a soccer mom who sees a drug deal going down on the street corner near her kid's elementary school and drops a dime to the local constabulary gets to be the guest of honor at the next PTA luncheon and the factory worker who knocks down a purse snatcher and sits on him until the cops get there finds his money is no good at the local watering hole that night after work.

Now do you get why the raid on La Villita was justified and a raid on Water Tower Place wouldn't be?