Riverside County, Sheriff Profile Latinos, Suit Says

An undocumented worker from Mexico has amended his civil suit against Riverside County and Sheriff Bob Doyle, contending that sheriff’s deputies profile Latinos in order to seek their deportation.

Francisco Padilla, whose confrontation with a deputy last year in the hills above Temecula was videotaped, previously sued the county and Doyle for unspecified damages resulting from the deputy’s actions.

Padilla was deported and then he returned to the U.S., and was arrested by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies last month, prompting a second deportation.

“This is a recurring problem -- there’s a custom and practice to the deputies roaming the back roads ... of this county, making arrests and turning over Latinos to the Border Patrol for deportation,” said Padilla’s attorney, Luis Carrillo. “The county and the sheriff ratify these actions by not stopping them.”