National Media Ignores DREAMer Facing Deportation Over Meth Bust, Alleged Gang Ties

The national media has an agenda to portray illegal aliens in the best possible light, especially illegal alien youths known by the propaganda term “DREAMers” who are protected by former President Barack Obama’s DACA executive action. When a DREAMer gets in serious trouble with the law that reflects badly on the media’s pro-amnesty agenda the national media doesn’t report on it.

Such is the case with Juan Manuel Martinez, a 19-year-old illegal alien DACA recipient living in Salinas who was recently arrested at the Monterey County Jail in California for possession of meth and marijuana while he was driving a friend to the jail.

Martinez was allowed to plead no contest to a reduced charge of trespassing and thought he would skate on by. ICE had other plans and took him into custody when he was released for time served and is holding Martinez for deportation proceedings.

In addition to being found with drugs at the jail, Martinez reportedly admitted to gang membership in an interview following his arrest. Martinez’s attorney denies his client’s involvement with a gang.

The Mexican consulate is reported to be outraged that Martinez is facing deportation over possessing meth and gang ties.

Local media reported on Martinez’s case.

KSBW-TV excerpt:

Last month, 19-year-old Juan Manuel Martinez pleaded no contest to trespassing on Monterey County Jail property. The day he was set to be released from jail, a federal ICE agent was there, and took him into custody.

“Things have changed. The whole paradigm is deport, deport, deport,” said defense attorney Miguel Hernandez, who represented Martinez in his criminal trial.

“It was a minor offense. If it had been a robbery or hurting someone, an assault,
anything like that, that might be different. I could understand sentiments. But
over something as technical as this, I don’t understand why people would be
rapid about deporting this guy,” said Hernandez.

Martinez falls under the Dreamer Act because he was brought to the United
States as a young child from Mexico.

His defense lawyer said he was on the path to citizenship.

But Martinez broke the law, and when he was arrested he was in possession of meth and pot. Those charges were later dropped.

When deputies asked him during the booking process whether he or family members were involved in gangs, he said “yes,” but never specifically said he was, according to his attorney.

…As for Martinez, he’s in a federal detention center in Yuba County, his immigration attorney said. He has a bond hearing in San Francisco next Wednesday.”

Link to KSBW video report here.

The Monterey Herald:

…Juan Manuel Martinez, 19, had pleaded no contest to trespassing in March, and his attorney, Miguel Hernandez, said Martinez was expected to go home from the Monterey County Jail after a judge sentenced him to time served. Instead, his family was told U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had placed a hold on him.

“I went to the jail that evening to visit another client. I ran into my client’s mother, she said they’re not going to release him,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez knew that his client had received temporary protection status under DACA, a program signed by President Barack Obama that gave temporary documented status to an estimated 800,000 young people. He had no other previous record, and his attempts to convince jail staff went nowhere.

ICE “picked him up and transported him to immigration court,” Hernandez said.

Although Martinez was originally charged with possession of marijuana and meth, he ended up just pleading to a minor charge of trespassing, which should not have warranted immigration detention, his attorneys said.

John Mineau, chief deputy for corrections with Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, said Martinez was flagged by ICE as soon as he was arrested for having a gang affiliation and possessing drugs on jail grounds. Martinez had driven a friend to jail, where he was caught with marijuana and meth in his car.

“We don’t have a 5-mile perimeter so we patrol around to prevent people from introducing” drugs into the jail, he said. “We take that stuff very seriously.”

Mineau said ICE makes the assessment as to who should be picked up.

But Martinez’s referral to immigration officials shows that the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is cooperating with federal authorities when it comes to detention of immigrants, Mexican Consul Blanca Zarazua said.

“It does not add up to the sheriff’s representation,” Zarazua said. “Publicly he’s said he’s not cooperating with ICE unless serious crimes are involved, and this is not serious. It’s not going to help calm the fears of many DACA students once they find out about this case.”

(Note: The Mexican Consul General for San Jose is Ambassador Mauricio Toussaint. Blanca Zarazua is an attorney quoted further down in the artilce. A phone message seeking clarification from the reporter was not returned by publication time.)

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/04/national-media-ignores-dreamer-facing-deportation-meth-bust-alleged-gang-ties/