I saw this article in the Times this morning.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008167700_forks09.html

Just curious, has anyone had to go through these on there way out to Forks?

Good.

The key word in the phrase Illegal immigrant is "illegal".

My family came to the US in 1907, so I am not against immigration, but it needs to be done correctly. Two of my grampa's brothers even had their names changed, while he retained his. They landed at Ellis Island, while he landed in Baltimore.

They assimilated and became productive US citizens. One of the brothers changed his name back to his original name, and the son of the other brother changed his name back as well.

There was no "press 2 for Slovenian" available.

Many of the ILLEGAL immigrants are criminals and gang members, while some are just folks looking for a better life. Well, do it the right way.

I was amazed at how many migrant workers there are in forks. Stop by the Shell station at 7:00 am on a weekday.

They put out two big buckets of hot/taco sauce packets on the counter every morning at 7:00. Every morning, the contents of the buckets are emptied by 7:30.

I had no idea that the workers are there for the flower industry..picking ferns, and stuff like that. For the "filler" type plants that go in and around the flowers that Bucket has to buy FishGal!

They need a checkpoint in Woodland. I see the same thing down there.

In both places, I had to ask "What's up with that and why are they here and what are they doing"? I had no idea.

There's no reason to be "illegal" here in the US, especially if you are a migrant worker. Hell, they probably get better all around benefits than I do.

I asked the same question a couple years ago to an employee at Thrift way, she said that they are hired to dig up stumps of trees that had been fallen.

I have no idea......anyone???

Funny... I asked the same thing a couple of years ago and the gal told me that most of them were loggers.

Loggers?? Only if loggers use leafblowers and lawn mowers

The ones you see in line at the gas staion in the morning are Guatamalans...there to pick salal, I believe. If you pull up to get something to eat, and see the white vans parked outside, don't bother...there will be 20 folks ahead of you in line!

Fish on...

Todd

Yep. They sneak up into public and private forests and stuff vans (with trucks cops can see what they're hauling) full of Salal that doesn't belong to them and sell it to Wholesale Floral Suppliers.

I cant recall if Theft of Forest Products is a felony or not, but if you do it on NFS or NPS land and get caught, it doesn't really matter, cause you're going to Club Fed either way.

The floral greens (alternative forest products) market is pretty big, and many operators purchase leases through the DNR and private timber companies like WEYCO, Simpson & Plum Creek to pick greens, so all is not illegal.

There is a fair amount of money in it, and it tends to be a cash business, so reporting is minimal from the worker standpoint, making it attractive to undocumented workers.

Why don't they quit wasting peoples time and money and just camp out at the shell station?
Friggin rediculous if you ask me....

lol

Pull up to the Shell station to get something to eat?
Beer, sandshrimp, and gas, that's *IT*

they need to have some of those road block down here on the harbor

I'm anti road block for anything!
If they want to do workplace raids and such fine. They should have probable cause to do those raids though. Road blocks put many innocent people through a hassle with the man.

Agreed.

Can't you guys do your f'n job without intruding on people who have nothing to do with your investigation?

That's what I was thinking. I had to be in my best behavior while driving around there last week. fun fun fun

So, back to my original question. Has anyone personally gone through one of these roadblocks? Sounds like some may have.

I'm just curious what is all involved with it. ID required for all vehicle occupants, sniffing dogs?

The article states "agents usually ask drivers different types of questions to gauge their status in the U.S., including questions about citizenship."
I love to see some video of that. Hell, there are plenty of US citizens who don't know jack about their own country.

What did those Columbian hookers cost you in Panama?

You got a warrant or something?

No warrants, at least none I know of.
Lets just say I'm not a big fan of roadblocks

Me neither.

Future Dem's of America.....

Mf

Think about this.

No warrant.

It's a built-in defense for the criminal, but I bet it won't save your ass from the INS.

I guess it's a good strategy.....................................until they stop someone with a body in the trunk and it becomes inadmissable as evidence. But bodies probably don't turn up in trunks in Forks very often.



I still don't like it.

Roadblocks are BS. So I need my passport to go to Forks now since I'm a brown guy and can't answer a pop quiz from a unibrow brown shirt?
La Migra just wants the public to think they're doing their job by high profiling. If they want to some catch some illegals, they should stop by Value Village in Bremerton on Sunday afternoon. They'd catch more than 7 and not inconvience people just trying to go about their bidness.
(Hey, don't say anything about my shopping habits. I picked up a nice Filson shirt with the tag still on it for $8.00.)

You of all people should ALWAYS carry your papers with ya, "never leave home with out it". Hey I've got a unibrow and I resemble that remark. I do however like your shopping habits!

Kinda what I was thinkin, Its forks, who doesnt have a beer between there legs?

Roadblocks are un-American.

"You of all people should ALWAYS carry your papers with ya, "never leave home with out it". Hey I've got a unibrow and I resemble that remark. I do however like your shopping habits!"

Well, Bucket -I'd be insulted if it wasn't true. I'll show INS my certificate from the state patrol for being a crosswalker flagger in the 6th grade. That should impress them.
Sorry about the unibrow thing. I forgot how sensitive you are.

I hate the idea of road blocks, but that said here is my take. My guess is that it is not illegals in general they are after. Personal knowledge is that there was a lot of drug running by mexicans that were setting up shop on the reservations. Because they looked just like the locals they could set up shop and no one paid attention. The guys I knew were supposedly legal, but I don't think their freinds were. They even had two drug related murders around Neah Bay in a dispute between them. But..., I think that even that might not be the real truth. The coast is so porous up there, they might have knowledge of some potential national security issues and are just using the local's to cover up their focus. Like everyone said, if it truely was about just getting illegals that would be a terrible waste of resources. I had a freind whose brother worked for the federal government in Yakima. He drove around in a truck that was unmarked except for the government plates. Supposedly one of his favorite pranks was to stick on an immigration agency hat, pull up to 7-11 and watch everyone start running.

News flash....LE Head to nearest Home Depot in a one ton rig.

I was also told they work in the logging industry. interesting. By the way that Shell has the best fried food of any gas station I have been to. Quality stuff as far as gas station goodies go. Make sure to try some next time you are in there for sand skrimp

never been caught up by the road blocks, but have been harassed by the over abundant staters patrolling 101 from P.A. to forks. Does anyone know why there are so many state patrol on that road? We counted 11 state patrol once on the drive from PA to forks