Foreign felon sues citizen who stopped his illegal entry into U.S.

Carleton Bryant The Washington Times - February 13, 2009, 08:59AM

A convicted felon who was deported for drug possession is one of 16 illegal immigrants suing an Arizona rancher for stopping them at gunpoint after they sneaked across the U.S.-Mexico border on his property, Jerry Seper is reporting.

Gerardo Gonzalez, who was deported in 1993, and 15 other Mexican nationals have filed a federal lawsuit against rancher Roger Barnett, accusing him of violating their civil rights and seeking $32 million in damages. Gonzalez’s illegal re-entry after deportation would be another felony.

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Uh … huh?!

Well, the rancher did impede their “pursuit of happiness.” But that’s not in the Constitution.

This is what makes this country great: A foreign criminal can sue a U.S. citizen for preventing the criminal from committing another felony on the citizen’s property. Wait, that didn’t come out right.

About the Author

Carleton Bryant

Carleton Bryant is a senior editor at The Washington Times, where he oversees the National and Metropolitan desks. He also serves as the newsroom’s internship coordinator. He has served as an assistant managing editor; a National, Metropolitan and Features desk editor; an assistant National desk editor; and a reporter on the National and Metro desks.