Ramos And Campean - House Hearing Request

(fungrexssl tl;e lflniteilStstex lflfluxfiinglun,E({ 2U515 December1,2006 Jr, The HonorableF. JamesSensenbrenner, Chairman HouseJudiciaryCommittee 2138 RayburnHouseOffice Building W a s h i n g t o nD,. C . 2 0 5 1 0 Dear ChairmanSensenbrenner: We are writing today to requestthe Immigration Subcommitteehold an immediate hearingon two U.S, Border PatrolAgents,Ignacio Ramosand JoseAlonso Compean,who were convictedand sentencedto I I and 12 yearsin federalprison respectivelyfor shootinga Mexican drug smuggler. Both Ramosand Compeanwill appealthesesentencesthrough their counsel. However, their struggleto overturntheseconvictionswould be greatly aidedby a Congressionalinquiry into their case,There are severaldiscrepanciesin this casewhich strongly questionwhether justice was served,thus demonstratingthe needfor an immediateCongressionalhearing. Ramosand Compeanwere convictedmainly on the testimonyof a habitualMexican drug smuggler,who was given immunity by federalprosecutorsto testify. The integrity of this witnessmust be called into question,but a sealedindictmentfor drug chargesforbadeRamos and Compeanfrom doing so during their trial. Also, there is insuffrcientproof as to whetheror not the drug smugglerwas armedthat day and in fact threatenedRamosand Compean,forcing them to fire their weaponsto protectthemsleves. We believethat the lawful protectionof our nation's bordersis of the utmost importance and we shoulddo everythingwe can to supportthe men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol in pursuingthat goal. By denying Congressionalhearingsto Ramosand Compean,we are effectively turning our backson the Border Patrol and the duty we entrustto them to secureour borders. We ask that the JudiciaryCommittee'sImmigration Subcommitteeschedulea hearing beforethe l09th Congressadjournsto addressthe caseof Ramosand Compeanand the questionablefacts that were usedto sentencethem to federalprison. Sincerely,

4/'e*R.hfaeWalter Jones Memberof Congress

TED POE Memberof Congress

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Dana Rohrabacher Member of Congress

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Memberof Congress

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SamJohnson Memberof Congress

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, Jr.

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vlrgll gDooe Member of Congress