07:13 PM CST on Thursday, January 19, 2006

By TJ Aulds / Galveston County Daily News and Reggie Aqui and Carolyn Campbell / 11 News

Click to watch Carolyn Campbell's report

Most of the day laborers rounded up in League City were released Thursday afternoon, as officials did not get the results for which they were looking.

As dozens of undocumented immigrants were released from the League City jail, some, like Jesus Ramirez, stopped to talk about their experience.

"I think that what they're doing is wrong because, you know, all people is doing is just looking for work," he said, "People just trying to look for work, that's all they're doing."

According to League City police, Immigration asked for the department's help after getting complaints of day laborers standing next to a convenience store and, ironically, across from the police station.

"Customarily, citizenship is not an issue with us", said a League City police spokesperson Sgt. Dan Krieger.

An Immigration spokesperson said her agency was involved only because League City asked it to be.

Basically, it was a combination of factors. ICE has been receiving numerous complaints of undocumented workers in this area, couple with the fact that we're looking for two sexual predators that were believed to be laborers," said Sgt. Krieger.

No matter whose idea it was, Rosaria Coronel is upset about being taken into custody and said she didn't understand why she was the only woman taken into custody.

League City said it was actually looking for three wanted immigrants, two for sexual assault and a third for intoxicated manslaughter.

11 News was unable to get a definitive answer as to who actually initiated the day's sweep, but only two of the dozens taken into custody are still being held by Immigration and could face deportation for outstanding warrants.

Police were trying to find two suspects in a sexual assault, and they were also looking for a man who they said is responsible for killing two people in a drunken driving crash.

League City authorities didn't find the three wanted people they were searching for and believe the men may have fled to Mexico.

They were hoping the suspects would be in the group of more than 60 day laborers they, along with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, rounded up Thursday.

"ICE is checking them," said Sgt. Dan Krieger. "If they have any state charges, we're gonna hold them for any outstanding state warrants that they have, or local warrants that they have, and ICE will place a detainer on them.

"For those that are documented, they'll be released, and those with criminal histories and such will be deported," Sgt. Krieger said.

KHOU-TV

Most of the day laborers taken into custody have been released.

In all, 62 people were taken in custody.

Sgt. Dan Krieger of the League City police department said officers, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, set out around 7:30 a.m. and hit two spots where it’s known where day laborers hang out.

That included a spot along West Walker, just blocks from the police station.

The other spot was in the 100 block of Texas just off of Main Street near an apartment complex also a popular recruiting spot for day laborers.

Krieger said the three men police were looking for were also believed to be day laborers.

Among the men police were looking for was Rigoberto Sanchez, the man League City police believe was responsible for a February 2002 car accident on State Highway 96 that killed four people. Sanchez, who after the accident was in a local hospital, has not been seen since hospital officials discharged him without notifying police.