Samaniego accused of doing illegal work on border

By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau
El Paso Times

AUSTIN -- Some of El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego's border security operations could be illegal and lead to expensive lawsuits, state and local officials said Monday as a top civil rights group announced it is deciding whether to sue.

"As immigration issues hit border states, we must fight to ensure that the civil rights of border citizens are guaranteed," said state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso.

State Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, accused Samaniego of conducting illegal immigration raids and roadblocks, and in a letter Friday asked Gov. Rick Perry to rein in local law enforcement. El Paso County Attorney José Rodríguez said he has received a flood of complaints and is monitoring the department to safeguard the county from liability.

Sheriff's Office spokesman Rick Glancey said the allegations are baseless and politically motivated by Shapleigh. Samaniego has endorsed Shapleigh's Republican opponent Dee Margo in the coming November election.

"There's been a tremendous amount of push from various organizations to make accusations, and it's kind of like that old saying, throw some mud and see if something sticks," Glancey said.

Hinojosa, chairman of the Senate Hispanic Caucus, said Samaniego is misusing money Perry provided border sheriffs for Operation Linebacker. He said legal concerns motivated him to write Perry, not political worries of Shapleigh, vice chairman of the caucus.

Texas law prohibits peace officers from engaging in activities designed to uncover undocumented immigrants.