Why is this woman free to buy ID again?
Perhaps you read the story in the papers recently about a woman by the name of Marcelina Castenada who was arrested up at Fisher Nuts.
It seems she paid $550 for a set of fake papers. She is charged with stealing the name, birth date, and Social Security number of a woman in California. Then she worked for three years and racked up tax liabilities on $45,000 of income. When the IRS went after the woman in California, authorities realized Castenada was using her name and working in Elgin.
Once she was caught, one would think she would be in custody and waiting for trial, followed by her time in prison, followed by deportation. But not in Kane County. No, sir. Even though she admitted to the crime and the fact that she is here illegally, she appeared before Judge Susan Clancy Boles, paid her $400 (10 percent of the $4,000 bond), and is due back in court on March 3.
What are the chances she will find her way to the courthouse on March 3?
AFLA has some other questions as well.
Why isn't this woman in the custody of immigration officials?
What's keeping this woman from leaving the area, buying another fake set of documents, and going to work somewhere else?
Who is going to pay these back taxes?
(We have the answer to that one. The taxpayers will absorb the cost.)
Why aren't prosecutors and judges more in tune with the flight risk of those who are here illegally working under false names?
Why don't judges realize how foolish it is to simply admonish illegals that their criminal acts might affect their immigration status and lead to deportation?
Why don't they see that a stronger hand is needed if we are going to get a handle on identity theft?
As long as our government continues to act foolishly when dealing with illegal aliens, Association for Legal Americans (AFLA) plans to be there to point it out to them. Maybe someday they will begin to enforce the laws on the books. Maybe.
Doug Heaton, co-director
Association for
Legal Americans
Elgin