Do deportations create "secure communities"?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Comments (11)
The Obama administration is now deporting more immigrants than in the last years under Bush. That’s paradoxical, in that Homeland Security has reduced factory raids and claims to be giving low priority to those whose offense is only being in this country for crossing borders without authorization.
Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) attributes the stepped-up rate of deportation to the success of its Secure Communities program, which is meant to exclude harden criminals. Many immigration advocates beg to differ. It’s not just the hardened criminal that are being deported, but some for offenses such as driving under the influence or domestic abuse. Not admirable conduct, but hardly drug-smuggling or gang banging. (For examples, see the Washington Post.)
Secure Communities was introduced in last days of the Bush presidency. It’s a simple idea. Since county and local jails take finger prints, why not submit them to Homeland Security to check the status of the detainee? If it kicks back that he/she is undocumented and if the offense is serious, then she/he could be turned over to ICE for deportation. In exchange, Homeland Security will share information that would be helpful in fighting crime. Many local jurisdictions (175 in 36 states) have signed up for the program, and Homeland Security secretary Janet Nepolitano expects the program to go national by 2013.
But the program doesn’t work as it is touted by ICE. Many local police officials and leaders agree with immigrant advocates that too high a proportion of those caught up in the jail house screening are for minor offenses, so they choose to opt out of the program, concerned that it might make local law enforcement more difficult as the Hispanic community ceases to cooperate with the police.
The New York Times recently reports that there is confusion about how free local jurisdictions are in opting out of Secure Communities and whether it will become compulsory. State governors begin by signing on to the program. It was believed that local jurisdictions then would decide to participate or not. But now officials at Homeland Security argue that once a state joins the program, local jurisdictions cannot opt out. The program becomes compulsory and in 2013 all local jurisdictions throughout the country would have to participate.
For immigration activists and Hispanic leaders this is one more disappointment from the Obama administration on immigration. The program catches up many immigrants who have been here for years, have been generally law-abiding, but got caught for a minor offense. No one is objecting to sending harden criminals back. But fingerprints of minor offenders are routinely sent to Homeland Security and the process of deportation soon follows.
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Secure Communities aids law enforcement.
By magyart (not verified) on Thursday, November 18, 2010When your local cops arrest a suspect, wouldn’t it be great if they could get the perp’s TRUE identity and immigration status? In less than 30 minutes? Well, they can! The program is called “Secure Communities” and it links the local authorities with a database of fingerprints that’s maintained by ICE.
Obama hates it, Eric Holder hates it, and John Morton hates it! Why? Because it is mandated by Congress, so Obama and his cronies can’t cut the funding, can’t neuter it by re-writing its regulations, and it makes it easy for cops to spot illegal aliens and turn them over to ICE (assuming that ICE will swing by and pick them up).
Illegal aliens hate the program because they can’t just give a fake name and escape justice.
Protecting the border is not
By san diego bail bonds (not verified) on Thursday, November 18, 2010Protecting the border is not a small feat and requires a lot of resources. I think the government just wants to allocate their resources to handle more dangeous threats.
- Jacquline Roberts
Rule of Law
By Al from Fl (not verified) on Wednesday, November 17, 2010is the mantra of America that resulted in a prosperous and generous nation. Today, trying to pick and choose what laws to obey and enforce will only lead to chaos and further destruction of our society. It is neither Catholic nor practical to support the concept of illegal immigration. What the U.S. needs is a clear and moral immigration policy and strict control of our borders. Why the Obama admin is reportedly increasing deportations while at the same time supporting the violation of our borders and the resultant damage and crime in our border states (and others) is unknown. This administration's policies are most successful in the destruction of America it seems.
Zero tolerance for all illegal residents
By magyart (not verified) on Tuesday, November 16, 2010We must reject the argument that only serious criminals with an illegal status must be deported. They all ignored the legal pathway that has been established. Many of them also use false or stolen documents to secure employment.
Many of the drive to their illegal job, without a DL or car insurance.
I have Secure Communities in my county and it has improved public safety and security.
ICE should prioritize the most serious criminals, but work toward the goal of deporting all illegal residents.
If zero tolerance...
By Joan Krebs Glenview, IL (not verified) on Wednesday, November 17, 2010were the law of the land when many of our ancestors arrived in this country, how many of us would be born here?
Has no one ever heard of W.O.P.'s (or WOPS as these people were identified back in the 20th century)? WOPS referred to illegal immigrants (usually from southern Europe or eastern Europe)and translated comes out to people WithOut Papers. Today we speak of people without "green cards" as being illegal, but the reality is identical. Mostly, it's people who suffer great destitution in their own country and seek better lives for their families and themselves who cross borders illegally. There has to be a better way than zero tolerance. How unChristlike!
if zero ---
By Anonymous (not verified) on Saturday, November 20, 2010Since you enjoy being the "devils' advocate" for all things unamerican I assume you have moved from your residence because you have turned it over to a "destitute"illegal mexican family ,who have free tuition,food stamps,free school lunch,assigned counsel,welfare payments,free medical ,etc,while you now reside in your car.Do you really think the immigrants of the 20th century received these entitlements.When a country has to borrow 42 cents of every dollar it spends it needs to look for ways to reduce spending and deportation and border enforcement appears to be a good place to start.It is UNCHRISTIAN to burden the innocent citizen with these costs
zero
By Anonymous (not verified) on Thursday, November 18, 2010Isn't she the same person who was for unilateral disarmament and went off against the U.S. for using the Atomic bomb to end the war and save American and Japanese lives.She is a dangerous radical who obviously is not someone who lived through that era.
Christ never illegally crossed a border.
By magyart (not verified) on Wednesday, November 17, 2010Christ was very forgiving, but he insisted those he forgave, never sin again. I doubt the illegal residents stealing across the border have plans to stop stealing (sinning).
Billions of people in our world seek better lives for themselves. To bring them all here will destroy our society. The Catholic Church does wonderful work, around the world, to help many of these people. The Church should not support amnesty.
My family (Magyar) is from Europe, I know what a WOP is, along with a few other unkind words. My wife's family (Skaleski) escaped the Russian concentration camps in Siberia and still managed to come here legally. Both familes came here legally and were examined / inspected at the border.
Our country accepts almost 1.5 million legal immigrants annually. This is more than the rest of the world. All of these people waited in line and most of the have family members that also want to come here. One thing that delays this is the millions of illegal residents that have "cut in line".
The legal pathway accepts all kinds of people from around the world, rich and poor, skilled and unskilled, smart and not so smart, many suffer great destitution in their own country and seek better lives for their families and themselves. Many more are prevented a better life, because a "sinner" over stayed a visa or paid another criminal to smuggle them here. Some people try to justify this, because it's been done before. (the WOPs did it)
Illegal residents can't survive without a job. To get a job they must use false docs or steal a social security card (again, not Christ like). Believe me they all aren't picking lettuce.
For every Maria working in the hospitality industry and every Josif working as a carpenter, we have a Mary and Joseph unemployed.
I support the legal immigrant and the American citizen. I support the mother, father, sister, brother and cousins waiting "in line" to come here.
They wait, to use the legal pathway that has been established and hoping an illegal resident isn't granted amnesty and placed at the back of the line. For the back of the line, is far ahead of any of those deserving people waiting "in line".
So, when you assist the "law breaker" seeking an undeserving amnesty; over the "law abiding" person, who is just as deserving of a better life, are you acting as Christ would ?
When Christ threw the money changers out of the temple, did he listen to the excuse "it was done before, the WOPs did it ?
Joan You are out of step with
By Anonymous (not verified) on Wednesday, November 17, 2010Joan You are out of step with most American taxpayers ;poll after poll ,appear to want our borders enforced and our immigration laws upheld .Your argument is bogus it compares "apples to oranges"You compare legal immigrants to illegal aliens.You should be ashamed to compare true immigrants who came to help build a nation and this group of leeches who are here to get all the "freebies" you "libs" bestow on them .You and your ilk encourage them to take to the streets and "demand their rights"and they repay their host country by walking on the American flag.OUTRAGEOUS
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deportations
By Anonymous (not verified) on Tuesday, November 16, 2010The deportation of convicted criminal aliens is alleged to be up ;while the overall deportations of illegal aliens are down.All illegal aliens should be deported; they have broken our laws and should not be rewarded.
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