Immmigration Madness: Nun's death sparks immigration debate -- and a call for mercy

Nun's death sparks immigration debate : "Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has ordered an investigation after a man who was in the United States illegally killed a nun in a car crash, authorities said. Napolitano is trying determine why the man was still in the country because he had been arrested two previous times for drunken driving offenses.

The suspect, Carlos Montano, driving Sunday morning under the influence of alcohol, slammed head-on into three nuns in a Toyota sedan, police said. The three were just a few miles from a monastery in Bristow, Virginia, heading for their annual retreat. Sister Denise Mosier was killed instantly, and the other two remained hospitalized Tuesday." August 3, 2010

Under God: A nun's death and illegal immigration: Forgiveness or punishment? : "On Sunday, Sister Denise Mosier, 66, a Benedictine nun and former missionary in Africa was killed and two others gravely injured when, on their way to a retreat, their car was hit by an alleged drunk driver. The 23-year-old driver, Carlos Martinelly Montano, is reported to be in the United States illegally from Bolivia, and has two previous drunken-driving convictions and has been awaiting long-delayed deportation hearings.

With immigration debates flaring up in both Arizona and Virginia, it didn't take long for immigration reform advocates to politicize Sister Denise's death. But the Benedictines are emphasizing mercy over politics.

Sister Glenna Smith, a spokeswoman for the Benedictine Sisters, said Tuesday that 'we are dismayed' by reports that the crash . . . is focusing attention on the man's status as an alleged illegal immigrant. He's a child of God and deserves to be treated with dignity,'" August 4, 2010, Washington Post

Latino group threatens to sue Virginia over immigration finding 

As Gov. Bob McDonnell considers his response to a state delegate asking him to direct law enforcement officers to implement the policies referenced in Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s recent opinion on immigration enforcement, one group is threatening a lawsuit.

In a recent opinion, Cuccinelli advised that police in Virginia may inquire about the immigration status of people they stop or arrest if they have the requisite level of suspicion that the person violated a criminal immigration law.

But in a letter sent to McDonnell this week, LatinoJustice PRLDEF says it is prepared to sue the state or any of its agencies if McDonnell authorizes law enforcement agents to conduct investigations into the immigration status of persons they stop or arrest. August 4, Richmond Times-Dispatch