Wayne County Star

U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped Butler farmer Robert Norris’ boat at Sodus Point on Friday. Norris said some of the people on the boat were relatives of one of his employees, a U.S. citizen.

A Border Patrol agent checks a woman’s paperwork.

SODUS POINT - Butler fruit farmer Bob Norris thought he was doing a good thing, offering relatives who were visiting one of his employees a late afternoon boat ride around Sodus Point.
Instead, it triggered an episode with the U.S. Border Patrol, who questioned the legal status of the visitors and another of Norris’ employees, eventually turning them over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Four children were also in the group, Norris said, but they were released to a relative.
“They treated it like a drug raid,” said Norris about the episode, which occurred late in the afternoon on June 12.
On June 15, Norris helped his employee, a U.S. citizen who is Mexican born, bail out the visitors. Two are the man’s daughter and son-in-law, who have been in the U.S. since 1991. They live in Florida and already had applications pending for legal status, but it Norris said Border Patrol did not pay attention to papers they had with them.
The four children, who are citizens, belong to the couple, Norris said.
Their grandfather, Norris’ employee, came up to Sodus Point to retrieve the youngsters. Border patrol turned over their parents, as well as three other people, to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They were taken to Oswego, and then the women were transferred to the Ontario County jail. The men went to the Wayne county jail. Norris had to take his employee to Batavia to post bail before any of them could be released.
One man, who was another of Norris’ employees, was not released. Border Patrol spokesman A.J. Price said the man had previously been deported and was in the U.S. illegally a second time.
Norris said the man had presented him with what appeared to be valid information when he was hired and he had no way of knowing that the identification was fraudulent. He also said he did not know the status of the other two people who were detained. He said he was hiring an immigration attorney for his worker’s family, however, so their status can be cleared up.
Border Patrol spokesman A.J. Price said the officers were on a routine boat patrol when they noticed Norris’ vessel on Lake Ontario. The concern initially was there were too many people on Norris’ boat; Price said officers counted 11. Price also classified the interaction with the agents as “voluntary.”
But Norris said it didn’t feel that way to him.
“There was nothing voluntary about it,” he said. “They ordered me back to the dock.”
He said Border Patrol did question the number of people on the boat, but Norris said he could carry up to 12 people safely. All of his passengers were wearing life jackets and the boat was not overloaded.
“I don’t think they were prepared for what I had to say to them,” he said.
Norris said he told the officers that they were racially profiling the people on his boat because they were Mexican. He noted that his daughter, who was also on the boat and who is white, had no proof of citizenship either, but she was not detained.
He also said the agents accused him of smuggling illegal aliens because he was in international waters.
“I laughed at them,” he said, noting he was just outside of the channel into Sodus Bay when he was stopped.
The irony of the matter to Norris is that he usually uses the H2A program when he employs migrant farm labor, so he can be sure of their legal status. He said the one worker he had who was detained did not come under H2A. He questioned what the detention would mean for his status with H2A, but he said the Border Patrol officers said it wasn’t their problem.
Norris said border patrol agents told him they were patrolling the area, looking for drug smugglers.
“I wonder how many people they found with drugs,” he said.
Norris said he is not a particularly political person, but the incident has caused him to see the importance of drawing attention to the issue.
“I think it’s pushing me to action,” he said.

...if this boat load of illegal aliens coming from Canada was on their way to church in Sodus, NY? I heard they have a problem with immigration raids in the church, too. The border patrol should leave these people alone and go do their job. Like arresting illegal aliens coming to and living in the USA. Oh, wait that is what they are doing! What are we complaining about! If a drug deal or a pimp is using people for criminal gain, such as earning more money or buying more products, then they are charged under the RICO laws. Why is this farmer spared the RICO charges? Oh, he doesn't know any better, the poor farmer. Yeah right.

I happen to know Bob Norris, and have known him for many years now. I can tell you than he conducts himself with integrity and he is a man of honor. He is very intelligent and cares for his neighbors and his help. He has had employed the same family to his charge for well over a decade, originally from Mexico, and they have been citizens for at least that time. So if he is having many guests over at his home, in gratitude of their hard work on his farm, and for some reason some of the extended family are here on our soil illegally, why would he be to blame??? Should he be responsible for each and everyone that shows up for his cook out? Should he be like the INS and ask for identification and/or green cards? Of course not!!!!! So lets leave him alone, because probably each fruit farm in Wayne county hires Mexicans to do the work that most around these parts do not want to do. And the Mexicans do it very well, and fast. If we did not want them in the first place, would they still be here?

"One man, who was another of Norris’ employees, was not released. Border Patrol spokesman A.J. Price said the man had previously been deported and was in the U.S. illegally a second time."

If he would take the time to use the free E verify system he wouldn't have been hired. Instead of "usually" using the H2A Program maybe he should ALWAYS use it. Unless of course he is trying to skim some extra money by not paying SS and Medicare Taxes.

'E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

E-Verify is free and voluntary and is the best means available for determining employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security Numbers."

Wow a Google Search can find that really difficult "I don't know what to do." stuff.

Your Comment...."because probably each fruit farm in Wayne county hires Mexicans to do the work that most around these parts do not want to do. And the Mexicans do it very well, and fast. If we did not want them in the first place, would they still be here?"

I've been hiring H2A Jamaicans and Guatemalans for years and very rarely do I have problems. The most problems I have had are with the Mexicans who come to work on my farm as H2As and then leave before the work is done...they come legally and then stay ILLEGALLY. Also, local kids are an excellent source of labor during the summer. The "Americans won't do that job is BS"

I dont wanna sound racist. So don't take it the wrong way but how many caucasian male's do you see out there on the fields working, braking there backs? and if you see one most likely is the hard working owners. I work at one point elegally and guest what the goverment still took money of my checks Oh and when taxes came I never saw one dime. so when you people say elegals dont pay taxe's dont be naive cuz they all got to eat so they all buy things that are tax. If americans would just start working in the field I bet you would see less Mexicans,because If there is no work. There is no point in leaving your family and going to A land that despises you.

What happened in the 1980s and before was famermers on long island would hire students and people between jobs, usually for minimumn or near minimumn wage....people would do it, they would get hot and smelly but it was fun and their was group cameraderie, people washed dishes, landscaped, worked at car washes, payroll taxes were paid.....

Now employers lower exspense and make more profit.

The boat trip was a kick back to his workers, making them seem like family, all the while saving money using them over legal workers...

They could make people on welfare work, and let them keep medicaid, at least they would be working....

make drugs legal and taxed

Issue of June 17, 2009

Border Patrol Interrupts Boat Ride

Louise Hoffman Broach | Wayuga Editor
Tuesday, June 16 2009

Issue of June 17, 2009

Border Patrol Interrupts Boat Ride

Louise Hoffman Broach | Wayuga EditorTuesday, June 16 2009

Louise Hoffman Broach | Wayuga Editor
Tuesday, June 16 2009