CONCORD, N.H. - A judge on Friday dismissed trespassing charges against a group of illegal immigrants arrested by two small-town police chiefs who said they were frustrated by lax federal enforcement.
Judge L. Phillips Runyon agreed with defense lawyers that the police chiefs in New Ipswich and Hudson had violated the Constitution by trying to enforce federal laws.
Law enforcement officers from across the country praised the police chiefs for their novel approach to homeland security.
The immigrants, most of whom were from Mexico, were cited with trespassing after being stopped this spring on traffic violations and then admitting they were in the United States illegally, police said.
The trespassing law defines guilt as knowingly entering or staying where they are not licensed or privileged to be. The citation — akin to a parking ticket — carries a fine and no jail time upon conviction. The immigrants had pleaded innocent.
