"Law enforcement had no proof that any of them had committed any crimes." Ralph

Well, they certainly didn't have any proof that I had committed any crimes either and I hadn't. For the record, white-haired women driving 8 year old Tauruses don't exactly fit the "criminal type" here in SW VA even for traffic laws. But I was perfectly happy to show them my license and go on my way. My cooperation helped lessen the likelihood that on my way home, some 20-something in a hopped up truck would be taking the curves at 60 MPH and a little over the line and wipe me out.
The story here seems to indicate that these were in fact illegal aliens. The bad news is that they were released instead of being deported.

This is boofugg speaking. You know that Mexico City story I told you about---well---it didn't really happen. But, you know that, don't you. Now, let me tell you a story that really did happen: It was last summer, or maybe the summer before that. I can't remember exactly, because at my age, time flies (as they say). Anyhow, I was at home, watching the news on TV when I saw Senator John McCain talking about illegal immigration. I'm trying to remember his exact words. I believe he said: "It would be impossible to identify, round up, and deport all these people back to their own countries." A few minutes after McCain made this statement, I left the house, went to the car wash and the grocery store, then returned home. On the way home, I saw a woman and three little kids walking away from the grocery store. They were loaded down with bags of groceries, and it was about 100 degrees that day. I thought about pulling over and offering them a ride home, but a quick glance at my gas gauge told me that I couldn't make it all the way to Guatemala. I was back home in less than an hour. When I got home, I started thinking about McCain's contention that we couldn't "identify" illegal aliens. Now, here's the deal---I left the house for an hour, and I IDENTIFIED ABOUT FIFTY ILLEGAL ALIENS! So, If John McCain thinks it is "impossible to identify" illegal aliens, then he should assign a detachment of U.S. Border Patrol officers to follow me around while I point them out! I didn't just fall off a goddamn turnip truck yesterday! I was born and raised in the central valley of California, and I know an illegal alien when I see one, OK? And then I began to wonder why it was that I had been seeing more and more and more and more, ad infinitum, over the last 50 years. I wrote to the Captain of the police department and asked him if he ran one of those "sanctuary cities" we hear so much about. The captain wrote back and told me "Absolutely not. We enforce immigration laws." I wrote back and told him that he wasn't enforcing them very well, in my opinion. The captain wrote back and told me the city was 30 percent hispanic, and the police couldn't run around hassling people just because boofugg thought they "looked different than everybody else." I wrote back and told the captain that I wasn't asking him to "break" the law, I was asking him to "enforce" the law. I advised the captain that I understood the legal concept of "probable cause." I also pointed out to him that there was enough built-in probable cause in the California Penal Code, the Health and Safety Code, the Vehicle Code, and all the other State and Municipal Codes, to detain and investigate every swingin' dick in the State of California for one thing or another (and that includes the "hispanic" 30 percent of us too). I told the captain that he wouldn't be hearing from me again, because it was obvious to me that he didn't want to be put on the spot about "certain" law enforement duties. The captain was apparently pleased to hear the last of me, because he never even wrote back to thank me for not bothering him again.

If you obey the laws - no problem. But these people were picked up and detained merely because of the color of their skin. Law enforcement had no proof that any of them had committed any crimes.

Well, I can't equal boofugg's story, but last October, I was driving down a twisty country road with lots of blind turns in SW VA on my way to purchase a few fall plants. I rounded a turn over a hill and was stopped by 3 police cars. The officer in charge asked to see my driver's license. I produced it, he thanked me, I headed on to buy my plants. I mentioned this to the plant store clerk, who informed me that speeding on these twisty country roads is a major problem in that area - lots of accidents. The police cars are waiting for speeders at the turn. Hey, Ralph, you obey the laws - no problem; but if you're here illegally or speeding on a twisty country road, then it should be a BIG problem.

I went to Mexico City last year. I was walking down the street, minding my own business and causing nor harm or annoyance to anyone. Suddenly a bunch of men in uniform took me by force and detained me. Then they took me to the police department where they strip-searched me and stole my money, my watch and my shoes. Then they took me to the Rio Bravo and threw me in. They used me for target practice as I a swam desperately toward Texas. As I swam, I screamed, "Why are you doing this to me?" The Capitan yelled back....BECAUSE YOU'RE AN ILLEGAL ALIEN AND WE WANT YOU THE FUCK OUTTA MEXICO!

You're walking down the street minding your own business causing no harm or annoyance to anyone, and all of the sudden a bunch of uniforms take you by force and detain you.