This popped up as a "most viewed" story containing those two elements beloved by SLTrib commenters - illegal aliens and the LDS Church.
Basically, this is a non story based on an opinion/report of one person being used by the ACLU or (SL Trib) to . . . I'm not sure what.
121 comments: many simply anti Mormon Church, majority just anti illegals, with a few "liberals" thrown in for 'balance'.
A few 'cute' comments:
- "Let's dress up as illegals and knock on Mormons doors."
- "Why doesn't ICE go as ACLU and immigration attorneys? Or how about Tribune reporters? "
- "Thought it was the ACLU not MCLU! "
- "No worries. Obama has reduced ICE to returning stolen exotic cars and fake Gucci handbags."
ICE agents posing as LDS missionaries?
- Updated: 12/29/2009 12:22:42 AM MST
The American Civil Liberties Union is raising the suspicion that federal immigration agents posed as Mormon missionaries to try to nab undocumented immigrants.
The allegation was made by a California professor writing in a recent edition of The Nation magazine who quoted Marina Lowe, an ACLU staff attorney in Salt Lake City.
The article, posted online Dec. 17, asserted that ICE agents throughout the nation use all kinds of ruses, including posing as missionaries and insurance agents.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman Virginia Kice on Monday said the allegation that agents pretend to be missionaries is "patently untrue."
Lowe told The Salt Lake Tribune that she had little to go on when a woman living along the Wasatch Front reported last spring that ICE agents may have posed as LDS missionaries.
The woman, who was suspicious of other visitors seeking her husband around the same time, said two people dressed like missionaries, but lacking black name badges commonly worn by Mormon emissaries, came to her door, Lowe said.
"It was purely her impression," Lowe said. "She was very suspicious."
The day after she confirmed for the visitors that her husband lived there, the article said, he was arrested by ICE agents.
Visitors seeking her husband previously about an insurance matter, however, left a phone number.
1 comment:
Here you have proof #1 that anti-immigration laws hurt the missionary work of the church. When I was a missionary I met many people who either were suspicious I was a government agent, or told us that others wondered if we were government agents. Anti-immigrant laws will feed these fears, and negatively impact missionary work among those most likely to embrace the church.
It is time for church members to throw off the mob mentality that has dominated the anti-immigrant movement. “The Lord has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and a sound mind.” We need to reject fear-mongering, prejudice, and short-term politics favored by Pharisees.
We need to take the long view. Pro-immigrant laws will help the church and promote freedom and liberty at home or abroad. Anti-immigrant laws will hurt the church and lead to bigger, more intrusive government.
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