ICE Agent Harbors Illegal Alien

Who’s watching the watchers?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer Arnaldo Echevarria stands accused of harboring an illegal alien and lying to law enforcement.

According to the criminal complaint:

Echevarria was a deportation officer with ICE, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In December 2012, Echevarria received permission from his superiors at ICE to open a hair salon in West Orange. Echevarria certified to ICE that the hair salon would not conflict with ICE matters and would not involve illegals. However, Echevarria employed his girlfriend at the time, an undocumented resident, to manage the salon. Echevarria’s girlfriend had entered the United States illegally, using the name and identification of an individual in Puerto Rico to obtain a Pennsylvania identification card.

Echevarria allegedly knew his girlfriend and another salon employee resided in the United States illegally. Prior to opening the hair salon, Echevarria queried the name and date of birth of his girlfriend’s alias in various law enforcement databases. After opening the salon, Echevarria allegedly ensured that his girlfriend’s illegal status remained a secret by signing the lease for her apartment and by placing her cable and electric bills in his name. In addition to driving his girlfriend and other salon employees to and from the salon each day, Echevarria also paid the employees in cash and never asked them to fill out employment eligibility paperwork.

No wonder President Obama’s number of deportations is way down.  His ICE officers are not only discouraged from doing their jobs, some are actively helping illegals dodge what little enforcement there is.