State Patrol reviewing crash that led to immigration hold
Thu., Feb. 16, 2017
TACOMA – Washington State Patrol is investigating to see if it followed its own policies after a minor crash on Interstate 5 could lead to a man’s deportation. Washington State Patrol does not have a policy of detaining or questioning people based on their immigration status.
The News Tribune reported that when Armando Chavez Corona’s car was hit during a multivehicle collision Feb. 9, a trooper did a routine check of his driver’s license. When he did, a warning appeared from federal authorities indicating Chavez Corona was a deported felon.
The trooper then contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to confirm the details of the warning. Later ICE agents took Corona into custody.
State Patrol spokesman Kyle Moore says troopers are not federal agents and detaining people is not their jobs. He did say, however, that troopers are allowed to contact federal authorities.
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