From Staff Reports
American Journal
November 16, 2011 1:54 pm
WESTBROOK – Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this morning raided a Westbrook home and a restaurant on the Westbrook/Portland line.
Similar raids have been reported at restaurants in Brewer, Waterville and Lewiston.
The raid of the residence, at 100 Bridge St., near the Dana Warp Mill, involved Westbrook police officers as well as federal agents. Agents could be seen talking to a man outside the residence.
Agents also raided Kon, an Asian restaurant on Brighton Avenue in Portland, near I-95 and the Westbrook line.
Officials from ICE referred all questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which declined comment at the time. The raid coincided with raids at Super China Buffet in Waterville and Twin City Buffet in Brewer, as well as at a home in Brewer, which have been reported by Current Publishing's media partner, WCSH6 NEWSCENTER, which also reported that a sign at the Brewer restaurant said it is closed today. The Lewiston Sun Journal is reporting an ICE raid at a restaurant in Lewiston, as well.
Check back to keepmecurrent.com for more on this developing story.
http://www.keepmecurrent.com/american_journal/news/westbrook-home-portland-restaurant-among-targets-of-federal-raids/article_c6f1dad6-107a-11e1-9ad1-001cc4c03286.html
Showing posts with label ICE and Police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ICE and Police. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Local cop implements bad policy in school
Dear Editor:
Carbondale police officer Alvaro Agon is being accused of harassing the Latino community. I attended a meeting with Police Chief Schilling, Mayor Bernot, and Town Manager Jay Harrington, with a room full of concerned parents and students. Each told a story of how Alvaro affected them and their families personally. Dozens of complaints were read detailing specific infractions.
Alvaro, as a school resource officer, is creating fear and stress among Latino students and families. The stories shared were horrifying to hear. All present were citizens. I shared my own story, as a parent who saw 4- and 5-year-old Latino children afraid to go in the same room for a safety discussion with Alvaro last Halloween.
School resource officers are part of a unique program designed to create a “positive peace keeper” presence in schools to reduce juvenile delinquency. SROs can create strong connections with children, building relationships based on trust, compassion, and guidance. It's a great program that has positive results when implemented appropriately. Chief Schilling told the group that ICE and SROs are in a shared task force throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
A decision was made to have ICE and SROs share a task force. Alvaro made a decision to collaborate with ICE to deport undocumented immigrants. As a result, Latino children have been targeted in our public schools to ferret out undocumented parents. School administrators have ignored infractions — while ICE raids on nonviolent Latinos have increased — splitting families.
National immigration enforcement policy and education policy have clear boundaries, with laws and codes that separate the two. Alvaro Agon very well might be a kind person who cares for his community, and attends church faithfully. However, an abusive choice was made to engage in activities that have crossed the line legally and ethically. Trust has been breached within the community. Retaining Alvaro Agon compromises the SRO program.
The parents and students have asked for one simple solution for months, “Remove Alvaro as SRO.” It's unfortunate public officials aren't willing to do it.
Anita Sherman
Glenwood Springs
The Aspen Times
September, 26 2011
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20110927/LETTER/110929878/1020&ParentProfile=1061
Carbondale police officer Alvaro Agon is being accused of harassing the Latino community. I attended a meeting with Police Chief Schilling, Mayor Bernot, and Town Manager Jay Harrington, with a room full of concerned parents and students. Each told a story of how Alvaro affected them and their families personally. Dozens of complaints were read detailing specific infractions.
Alvaro, as a school resource officer, is creating fear and stress among Latino students and families. The stories shared were horrifying to hear. All present were citizens. I shared my own story, as a parent who saw 4- and 5-year-old Latino children afraid to go in the same room for a safety discussion with Alvaro last Halloween.
School resource officers are part of a unique program designed to create a “positive peace keeper” presence in schools to reduce juvenile delinquency. SROs can create strong connections with children, building relationships based on trust, compassion, and guidance. It's a great program that has positive results when implemented appropriately. Chief Schilling told the group that ICE and SROs are in a shared task force throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
A decision was made to have ICE and SROs share a task force. Alvaro made a decision to collaborate with ICE to deport undocumented immigrants. As a result, Latino children have been targeted in our public schools to ferret out undocumented parents. School administrators have ignored infractions — while ICE raids on nonviolent Latinos have increased — splitting families.
National immigration enforcement policy and education policy have clear boundaries, with laws and codes that separate the two. Alvaro Agon very well might be a kind person who cares for his community, and attends church faithfully. However, an abusive choice was made to engage in activities that have crossed the line legally and ethically. Trust has been breached within the community. Retaining Alvaro Agon compromises the SRO program.
The parents and students have asked for one simple solution for months, “Remove Alvaro as SRO.” It's unfortunate public officials aren't willing to do it.
Anita Sherman
Glenwood Springs
The Aspen Times
September, 26 2011
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20110927/LETTER/110929878/1020&ParentProfile=1061
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Families, Hispanic leaders upset by raids
By Hillary Gavan
beloitdailynews.com
September 16, 2011
After Tuesday's roundup of immigrants allegedly tied to crime and gang activity, some members and representatives of the Hispanic community say they are distrustful of law enforcement now and feel reluctant to report crimes or act as witnesses.
Some said the Beloit Police Department should leave immigration enforcement to Homeland Security.
Police said seven people were taken into administrative custody Tuesday during a Beloit roundup of immigrants by federal officials. The federal officials say those taken into custody are tied to crime and gangs. The operation was conducted by federal Homeland Security agents with the help of Beloit police.
During the roundup, Beloit police knocked on the doors where suspects might be living. Capt. Vince Sciame stressed that they were face-to-face meetings and included use of a Spanish speaking officer. He said the roundup was peaceful and simply involved talking to various families. Those the police were targeting were arrested, handcuffed and then processed by Homeland Security investigators.
Sara Dady, an immigration attorney with Dady and Hoffmann in Rockford, said local police shouldn't get involved with civil law enforcement. The Homeland Security officers refused to identify themselves when they came to homes and workplaces, she said.
She added that the seven administrative arrests will cause the Beloit Hispanic population to be distrustful and reluctant to contact police regarding crime.
"There's little information about how truly dangerous these people are. Some of these people they were running with the wrong crowd and had a minor disorderly conduct charge, but have since turned their lives around," Dady said.
Dady said lawful permanent residents were also subject to being removed if they had only minor convictions.
"I'm not sure that this operation is the best use of local resources," she said. "The Beloit Police Department should not be involved. The local police department has its own responsibility to keep community safe. Participating with customs and immigration undermines that ability."
Pastor Neddy Astudillo said the raids were deceptive and police weren't honest about what they were doing when they approached local Hispanic families. Police said they just wanted to talk, and accompanying Homeland Security officers weren't dressed in uniform or properly identified.
Kitzia Colin and her mother Veronica Colin explained what happened to their family during the roundup. The mother and daughter said police came looking for brother and son Nestali Colin, 21. According to the Colins, police assured the family they only wanted to talk to Nestali. The family called him at work at a Fontana hotel and ordered him home to speak with police. They said police assured them that Nestali would be able to return to work after speaking to police. After the conversation, Nestali was immediately taken into custody.
The Colins are upset that they have not been able to speak with Nestali and cannot get any information about his status. He is being held in detention in Dodge County. The family said he only had one legal problem with a fight but had already been to court to address the issue.
"We are not sure about his connection to a gang but he told my parents that he didn't have problems with gangs," Kitzia Colin said. "We are not able to speak to him or anything. My mom's pregnant and it scared her. Police weren't clear about what they were doing."
Nancy Marquez said there was also an arrest in her family of a young man. She said her family was eager to cooperate with police and thought they were going to help police with fighting crime. After taking a shower the young man immediately went down to talk with police. Instead of reporting the crime, the young man was immediately taken into custody and felt tricked by police, the family said.
Dady stressed that deportation isn't as simple as shipping an immigrant back to Mexico. The suspects may spend up to two years in legal proceedings and may eventually return home.
Astudillo acknowledged that police did contact her about the upcoming roundup and encouraged the support of families impacted by the raids. However she said she's still concerned that the roundup bordered on harassment of innocent Hispanics.
"When local police enforcement cooperates with immigration officials there is a deterioration of trust between immigrant community and police. We need to be able to trust the police, if we are going to have a real safe community. People need to know when the immigrant community becomes fearful, it won't report crime," she said. "We need to evaluate how positive this approach is. We lose the population's trust for capturing 7 people who may or may not be a threat. It's not just about gang members. The wave goes farther."
Astudillo said the challenge for Hispanic leaders is getting information to the immigrant community. Many law abiding members are avoiding public places and are scared to even drive their children to school. Without a Spanish newspaper or radio station in Beloit, it's hard to communicate what is going on as part of the roundup activities.
Capt. Vince Sciame stressed that the people taken into custody had some sort of criminal history or gang affiliation.
"Beloit police will continue to work with Homeland Security. We feel obligated to assist federal agencies and are obligated by law to offer mutual aid. For us to deny that would be professional suicide. We are here in a supportive role to the point," he said.
Sciame said police will be happy to speak to any residents about their concerns regarding the roundup, and added that the average law abiding Hispanic living in Beloit has nothing to fear.
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/local_news/families-hispanic-leaders-upset-by-raids/article_4b7fe55c-e08a-11e0-b3c9-001cc4c002e0.html
beloitdailynews.com
September 16, 2011
After Tuesday's roundup of immigrants allegedly tied to crime and gang activity, some members and representatives of the Hispanic community say they are distrustful of law enforcement now and feel reluctant to report crimes or act as witnesses.
Some said the Beloit Police Department should leave immigration enforcement to Homeland Security.
Police said seven people were taken into administrative custody Tuesday during a Beloit roundup of immigrants by federal officials. The federal officials say those taken into custody are tied to crime and gangs. The operation was conducted by federal Homeland Security agents with the help of Beloit police.
During the roundup, Beloit police knocked on the doors where suspects might be living. Capt. Vince Sciame stressed that they were face-to-face meetings and included use of a Spanish speaking officer. He said the roundup was peaceful and simply involved talking to various families. Those the police were targeting were arrested, handcuffed and then processed by Homeland Security investigators.
Sara Dady, an immigration attorney with Dady and Hoffmann in Rockford, said local police shouldn't get involved with civil law enforcement. The Homeland Security officers refused to identify themselves when they came to homes and workplaces, she said.
She added that the seven administrative arrests will cause the Beloit Hispanic population to be distrustful and reluctant to contact police regarding crime.
"There's little information about how truly dangerous these people are. Some of these people they were running with the wrong crowd and had a minor disorderly conduct charge, but have since turned their lives around," Dady said.
Dady said lawful permanent residents were also subject to being removed if they had only minor convictions.
"I'm not sure that this operation is the best use of local resources," she said. "The Beloit Police Department should not be involved. The local police department has its own responsibility to keep community safe. Participating with customs and immigration undermines that ability."
Pastor Neddy Astudillo said the raids were deceptive and police weren't honest about what they were doing when they approached local Hispanic families. Police said they just wanted to talk, and accompanying Homeland Security officers weren't dressed in uniform or properly identified.
Kitzia Colin and her mother Veronica Colin explained what happened to their family during the roundup. The mother and daughter said police came looking for brother and son Nestali Colin, 21. According to the Colins, police assured the family they only wanted to talk to Nestali. The family called him at work at a Fontana hotel and ordered him home to speak with police. They said police assured them that Nestali would be able to return to work after speaking to police. After the conversation, Nestali was immediately taken into custody.
The Colins are upset that they have not been able to speak with Nestali and cannot get any information about his status. He is being held in detention in Dodge County. The family said he only had one legal problem with a fight but had already been to court to address the issue.
"We are not sure about his connection to a gang but he told my parents that he didn't have problems with gangs," Kitzia Colin said. "We are not able to speak to him or anything. My mom's pregnant and it scared her. Police weren't clear about what they were doing."
Nancy Marquez said there was also an arrest in her family of a young man. She said her family was eager to cooperate with police and thought they were going to help police with fighting crime. After taking a shower the young man immediately went down to talk with police. Instead of reporting the crime, the young man was immediately taken into custody and felt tricked by police, the family said.
Dady stressed that deportation isn't as simple as shipping an immigrant back to Mexico. The suspects may spend up to two years in legal proceedings and may eventually return home.
Astudillo acknowledged that police did contact her about the upcoming roundup and encouraged the support of families impacted by the raids. However she said she's still concerned that the roundup bordered on harassment of innocent Hispanics.
"When local police enforcement cooperates with immigration officials there is a deterioration of trust between immigrant community and police. We need to be able to trust the police, if we are going to have a real safe community. People need to know when the immigrant community becomes fearful, it won't report crime," she said. "We need to evaluate how positive this approach is. We lose the population's trust for capturing 7 people who may or may not be a threat. It's not just about gang members. The wave goes farther."
Astudillo said the challenge for Hispanic leaders is getting information to the immigrant community. Many law abiding members are avoiding public places and are scared to even drive their children to school. Without a Spanish newspaper or radio station in Beloit, it's hard to communicate what is going on as part of the roundup activities.
Capt. Vince Sciame stressed that the people taken into custody had some sort of criminal history or gang affiliation.
"Beloit police will continue to work with Homeland Security. We feel obligated to assist federal agencies and are obligated by law to offer mutual aid. For us to deny that would be professional suicide. We are here in a supportive role to the point," he said.
Sciame said police will be happy to speak to any residents about their concerns regarding the roundup, and added that the average law abiding Hispanic living in Beloit has nothing to fear.
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/local_news/families-hispanic-leaders-upset-by-raids/article_4b7fe55c-e08a-11e0-b3c9-001cc4c002e0.html
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
ICE freezes mistrust
Phila. police have a special relationship with immigration crackdown.
By Tom Ferrick Jr.
METROPOLIS
Sep. 13, 2011
Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey has a smart new plan to combat crime that puts Philadelphia police in closer contact with their communities - walking the beat, getting familiar with the neighborhood. It makes sense, except in heavily Latino areas of town.
In those neighborhoods, especially in the Mexican community in South Philadelphia, people cringe when they see the police, and they fear contact with them. Any attempt by the police to gain their trust is doomed.
Why? Because the Police Department has chosen to have a special relationship with the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency - ICE, for short - has been on a tear here and nationally in rounding up illegal immigrants and deporting them. Under the Secure Communities program, the number of deportations has risen dramatically during the Obama administration.
On paper, Secure Communities makes sense. ICE is supposed to target undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Who can disagree with that? Why let Dominican drug dealers or Mexican gang members stay in the country?
In reality, there is a major gap between the stated goals of Secure Communities and its practice. In Philadelphia particularly, the program - which says it targets sharks - has ended up mostly capturing minnows.
Only one out of five illegal immigrants rounded up by ICE agents in Philadelphia in the last two years had been convicted of so-called Level 1 crimes, the most serious offenses (such as murder, kidnapping, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and national security violations). The majority were people who had not been convicted of any crime.
How could this be? Because in Philadelphia, the Police Department allows ICE access to its computer system, which records information about arrests in real time. Officially, it is called the Preliminary Arraignment System (PARS).
To use one example, if a Mexican kid is arrested for being drunk and disorderly, ICE agents know it immediately - often before his parents. We've heard tales of young men arrested on suspicion of theft, with no official charges leveled, being whisked away by ICE and deported to Mexico.
In this particular case, the young man was 25 and had lived in the United States since he was 2. To him, Mexico was a foreign country.
We revealed what was happening with ICE, PARS, and the police in a Metropolis story in June called "The Deportation Machine." (To read it, go to: http://bit.ly/n5bj8L)
Immigrant activists had hoped that the city would end its special relationship with ICE. Most other police jurisdictions do not give ICE agents access to their real-time data. In fact, a number of police departments and local and state officials are unhappy with the whole Secure Communities program, saying it puts them at odds with their local immigrant communities and makes policing more difficult.
Recently, in response to these complaints - and with one eye on reelection - the Obama administration has pulled the throttle back on Secure Communities.
Not in Philadelphia. In this city, as the Spanish-language weekly Al Día has reported, the local officials renewed their contract with ICE to continue to use PARS.
Let's be clear here. This issue is not about where you stand on immigration. ICE has a job to do and if it does capture sharks - people with serious convictions either here or in their home country - they should be deported.
But it shouldn't be the job of the Philadelphia police to de facto become surrogate ICE agents - any more than we should ask ICE agents to combat crime on the streets. Both are enforcement agencies, but each has a different mission.
So far, the Nutter administration has given lip service to critics of the relationship between ICE and the police. The mayor says soothing things about the need for broad immigration reform. Still, he approved renewal of the contract.
That makes him, along with Ramsey, part of the problem.
So, if you are a police officer, don't be surprised if Latinos walk the other way when you walk your beat. Instead of seeing you as a protector of their community, they see you as an arm of ICE.
They fear and distrust you - and the city has earned that distrust.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/129698323.html
By Tom Ferrick Jr.
METROPOLIS
Sep. 13, 2011
Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey has a smart new plan to combat crime that puts Philadelphia police in closer contact with their communities - walking the beat, getting familiar with the neighborhood. It makes sense, except in heavily Latino areas of town.
In those neighborhoods, especially in the Mexican community in South Philadelphia, people cringe when they see the police, and they fear contact with them. Any attempt by the police to gain their trust is doomed.
Why? Because the Police Department has chosen to have a special relationship with the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency - ICE, for short - has been on a tear here and nationally in rounding up illegal immigrants and deporting them. Under the Secure Communities program, the number of deportations has risen dramatically during the Obama administration.
On paper, Secure Communities makes sense. ICE is supposed to target undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Who can disagree with that? Why let Dominican drug dealers or Mexican gang members stay in the country?
In reality, there is a major gap between the stated goals of Secure Communities and its practice. In Philadelphia particularly, the program - which says it targets sharks - has ended up mostly capturing minnows.
Only one out of five illegal immigrants rounded up by ICE agents in Philadelphia in the last two years had been convicted of so-called Level 1 crimes, the most serious offenses (such as murder, kidnapping, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and national security violations). The majority were people who had not been convicted of any crime.
How could this be? Because in Philadelphia, the Police Department allows ICE access to its computer system, which records information about arrests in real time. Officially, it is called the Preliminary Arraignment System (PARS).
To use one example, if a Mexican kid is arrested for being drunk and disorderly, ICE agents know it immediately - often before his parents. We've heard tales of young men arrested on suspicion of theft, with no official charges leveled, being whisked away by ICE and deported to Mexico.
In this particular case, the young man was 25 and had lived in the United States since he was 2. To him, Mexico was a foreign country.
We revealed what was happening with ICE, PARS, and the police in a Metropolis story in June called "The Deportation Machine." (To read it, go to: http://bit.ly/n5bj8L)
Immigrant activists had hoped that the city would end its special relationship with ICE. Most other police jurisdictions do not give ICE agents access to their real-time data. In fact, a number of police departments and local and state officials are unhappy with the whole Secure Communities program, saying it puts them at odds with their local immigrant communities and makes policing more difficult.
Recently, in response to these complaints - and with one eye on reelection - the Obama administration has pulled the throttle back on Secure Communities.
Not in Philadelphia. In this city, as the Spanish-language weekly Al Día has reported, the local officials renewed their contract with ICE to continue to use PARS.
Let's be clear here. This issue is not about where you stand on immigration. ICE has a job to do and if it does capture sharks - people with serious convictions either here or in their home country - they should be deported.
But it shouldn't be the job of the Philadelphia police to de facto become surrogate ICE agents - any more than we should ask ICE agents to combat crime on the streets. Both are enforcement agencies, but each has a different mission.
So far, the Nutter administration has given lip service to critics of the relationship between ICE and the police. The mayor says soothing things about the need for broad immigration reform. Still, he approved renewal of the contract.
That makes him, along with Ramsey, part of the problem.
So, if you are a police officer, don't be surprised if Latinos walk the other way when you walk your beat. Instead of seeing you as a protector of their community, they see you as an arm of ICE.
They fear and distrust you - and the city has earned that distrust.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/129698323.html
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Sheriff's office won't resist deportation program
Some law officers nationwide say illegal immigrant effort is flawed.
By PATRICK MALONE
Chieftain.Com
Thursday, May 26, 2011
DENVER — A tide of backlash nationally against the federal Secure Communities program has not deterred the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office from plans to participate in it.
Two sheriffs from other states expressed doubts Wednesday about participating in the program because they worry it is snaring low-level offenders and deporting people whose criminal cases have not been adjudicated.
They join the governor of Illinois and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in questioning whether Secure Communities is accomplishing its objectives or doing more harm than good.
The Pueblo sheriff’s office sees little difference between Secure Communities and its current practice of providing inmates’ fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which in turn forwards them to federal agencies, according to Capt. Dave Lucero.
He said the fingerprint comparison does little to affect the jail. Of the 606 inmates held there on Wednesday, just two were being detained on immigration holds.
Secure Communities creates a computer pipeline for jails to send fingerprints of people booked there to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI.
The program’s aim is to target for deportation those who have committed the most serious crimes, such as rape, murder and felony drug offenses. But the Los Angeles Times reported last week that only about 35 percent of those who have been deported to date fit that description.
One-fourth of the deportations associated with Secure Communities so far have involved people awaiting resolution of their cases who have not been convicted, according to Bridget Kessler of Benjamin Cardoza School of Law.
“It’s a flawed program,” said Sheriff Patrick Perez of Kane County, Ill., where Gov. Patrick Quinn recently terminated the state’s participation in Secure Communities over concerns that it was not catching its intended targets and was eroding trust between law enforcement and the immigrant community.
Perez praised Quinn’s decision.
“People have been deported for minor traffic violations or no criminal activity at all,” Perez said.
Earlier this month the Congressional Hispanic Caucus submitted a letter to President Barack Obama urging an immediate freeze of Secure Communities in order to review whether it is truly prioritizing serious offenders for deportation, or simply casting a dragnet.
ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok emphasized the scope of Secure Communities is limited to those in the country illegally who have been arrested for violating state laws.
“Secure Communities has been deployed quickly to support the administration’s efforts to prioritize criminal aliens for removal, and DHS is committed to working with all partners to address questions about the program,” Rusnok said.
He said ICE is reviewing statistics to assure Secure Communities is not a vehicle for misconduct, and if any is found corrective actions will be taken.
Sheriff Ed Prieto of Yolo County, Calif., acknowledged that many people, including some in his own command staff, have no objections to deporting anyone who is discovered to be in the country illegally. But he is instructing his department to notify ICE only of prisoners in the country illegally who are known to have committed serious offenses.
In a conference call with reporters, Perez and Prieto also voiced confusion over whether participation in the program is mandatory and what the consequences might be if they reject joining.
They said early correspondence with the DHS and ICE suggested participation was voluntary, but since then those agencies have made it abundantly clear that every jurisdiction in the nation is expected to be on board by 2013. Rusnok said the only aspect of the program that jails can block is a return report from ICE about whether anyone in a jail is subject to deportation. But refusing to accept those results has no bearing on whether ICE — which has the ultimate authority to do so — will deport inmates from a jail.
Gov. Bill Ritter approved Colorado’s participation in the program shortly before he left office. Denver, Arapahoe and El Paso counties currently are Colorado’s pilot jurisdictions for Secure Communities. Pueblo County also will join to comply with the mandate.
“It’s not up to us to dictate their policies,” said Lucero of the Pueblo sheriff's office. “They make the rules. We just follow them.”
http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/sheriff-s-office-won-t-resist-deportation-program/article_aacb74b4-875b-11e0-92ed-001cc4c002e0.html
By PATRICK MALONE
Chieftain.Com
Thursday, May 26, 2011
DENVER — A tide of backlash nationally against the federal Secure Communities program has not deterred the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office from plans to participate in it.
Two sheriffs from other states expressed doubts Wednesday about participating in the program because they worry it is snaring low-level offenders and deporting people whose criminal cases have not been adjudicated.
They join the governor of Illinois and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in questioning whether Secure Communities is accomplishing its objectives or doing more harm than good.
The Pueblo sheriff’s office sees little difference between Secure Communities and its current practice of providing inmates’ fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which in turn forwards them to federal agencies, according to Capt. Dave Lucero.
He said the fingerprint comparison does little to affect the jail. Of the 606 inmates held there on Wednesday, just two were being detained on immigration holds.
Secure Communities creates a computer pipeline for jails to send fingerprints of people booked there to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI.
The program’s aim is to target for deportation those who have committed the most serious crimes, such as rape, murder and felony drug offenses. But the Los Angeles Times reported last week that only about 35 percent of those who have been deported to date fit that description.
One-fourth of the deportations associated with Secure Communities so far have involved people awaiting resolution of their cases who have not been convicted, according to Bridget Kessler of Benjamin Cardoza School of Law.
“It’s a flawed program,” said Sheriff Patrick Perez of Kane County, Ill., where Gov. Patrick Quinn recently terminated the state’s participation in Secure Communities over concerns that it was not catching its intended targets and was eroding trust between law enforcement and the immigrant community.
Perez praised Quinn’s decision.
“People have been deported for minor traffic violations or no criminal activity at all,” Perez said.
Earlier this month the Congressional Hispanic Caucus submitted a letter to President Barack Obama urging an immediate freeze of Secure Communities in order to review whether it is truly prioritizing serious offenders for deportation, or simply casting a dragnet.
ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok emphasized the scope of Secure Communities is limited to those in the country illegally who have been arrested for violating state laws.
“Secure Communities has been deployed quickly to support the administration’s efforts to prioritize criminal aliens for removal, and DHS is committed to working with all partners to address questions about the program,” Rusnok said.
He said ICE is reviewing statistics to assure Secure Communities is not a vehicle for misconduct, and if any is found corrective actions will be taken.
Sheriff Ed Prieto of Yolo County, Calif., acknowledged that many people, including some in his own command staff, have no objections to deporting anyone who is discovered to be in the country illegally. But he is instructing his department to notify ICE only of prisoners in the country illegally who are known to have committed serious offenses.
In a conference call with reporters, Perez and Prieto also voiced confusion over whether participation in the program is mandatory and what the consequences might be if they reject joining.
They said early correspondence with the DHS and ICE suggested participation was voluntary, but since then those agencies have made it abundantly clear that every jurisdiction in the nation is expected to be on board by 2013. Rusnok said the only aspect of the program that jails can block is a return report from ICE about whether anyone in a jail is subject to deportation. But refusing to accept those results has no bearing on whether ICE — which has the ultimate authority to do so — will deport inmates from a jail.
Gov. Bill Ritter approved Colorado’s participation in the program shortly before he left office. Denver, Arapahoe and El Paso counties currently are Colorado’s pilot jurisdictions for Secure Communities. Pueblo County also will join to comply with the mandate.
“It’s not up to us to dictate their policies,” said Lucero of the Pueblo sheriff's office. “They make the rules. We just follow them.”
http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/sheriff-s-office-won-t-resist-deportation-program/article_aacb74b4-875b-11e0-92ed-001cc4c002e0.html
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Immigration: Irving vs. ICE tensions
By Katherine Leal Unmuth
Jun 30, 2010
Dallas Morning News
This dispatch is from reporter Leigh Munsil:
The City of Irving is facing off against federal officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the city's Criminal Alien Program, which has drawn national attention and given Irving a reputation for being especially tough on illegal immigration. At the Irving City Council work session last Wednesday, Mayor Herbert Gears suggested that the federal government is trying to tamper with the program, which is unique in the country and has resulted in more immigration holds than any other city, he said. The program allows federal authorities to check the immigration status of inmates in the city's jail, and has turned over more than 5,600 people for deportation since it began in 2006.
Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd said in the work session that ICE notified the Irving PD in September 2009 that it would no longer be accepting prisoners arrested for Class C misdemeanors, which resulted in a dramatic drop in immigration holds. However, in a previous story, ICE officials said that their program had not changed; instead, Irving stopped recommending some inmates for immigration holds.
ICE officials "called us a liar" in the story, Gears said, because the city continues to "rigorously enforce the program."
"There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why they choose to accept some [inmates] and don't accept others," said Boyd, pointing to October 2009 as an example -- out of 27 prisoners referred, ICE refused to process 18, he said.
But since the story ran last Monday, Boyd said, ICE officials have not refused to process a single Class C offender.
http://irvingblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/06/immigration-irving-vs-ice.html
Jun 30, 2010
Dallas Morning News
This dispatch is from reporter Leigh Munsil:
The City of Irving is facing off against federal officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the city's Criminal Alien Program, which has drawn national attention and given Irving a reputation for being especially tough on illegal immigration. At the Irving City Council work session last Wednesday, Mayor Herbert Gears suggested that the federal government is trying to tamper with the program, which is unique in the country and has resulted in more immigration holds than any other city, he said. The program allows federal authorities to check the immigration status of inmates in the city's jail, and has turned over more than 5,600 people for deportation since it began in 2006.
Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd said in the work session that ICE notified the Irving PD in September 2009 that it would no longer be accepting prisoners arrested for Class C misdemeanors, which resulted in a dramatic drop in immigration holds. However, in a previous story, ICE officials said that their program had not changed; instead, Irving stopped recommending some inmates for immigration holds.
ICE officials "called us a liar" in the story, Gears said, because the city continues to "rigorously enforce the program."
"There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why they choose to accept some [inmates] and don't accept others," said Boyd, pointing to October 2009 as an example -- out of 27 prisoners referred, ICE refused to process 18, he said.
But since the story ran last Monday, Boyd said, ICE officials have not refused to process a single Class C offender.
http://irvingblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/06/immigration-irving-vs-ice.html
Monday, June 28, 2010
White House Picks Critic of Local Immigration Enforcement for Key Role at ICE
By Stephen Clark
FoxNews.Com
June 25, 2010
The Obama administration has tapped an outspoken critic of immigration enforcement on the local level to oversee and promote partnerships between federal and local officials on the issue.
Harold Hurtt, a former police chief in Houston and Phoenix, has been hired as the director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of State and Local Coordination. Starting July 6, Hurtt will supervise outreach and communication between ICE, local law enforcement agencies, tribal leaders and representatives from non-governmental organizations.
"Chief Hurtt is a respected member of the law enforcement community and understands the concerns of local law enforcement leaders," said John Morton, the Homeland Security assistant secretary for ICE. "His experience and skills will be an invaluable asset to the ICEs outreach and coordination efforts."
But as a police chief, Hurtt was a supporter of "sanctuary city" policies, by which illegal immigrants who don't commit crimes can live without fear of exposure or detainment because police don't check for immigration papers.
He also, during his tenure as Houston police chief, criticized ICE's key program that draws on local law enforcement's support.
"There's no way you can head up an office if you don't believe in what the office is supposed to do," Curtis Collier of U.S. Border Watch, told the Houston Chronicle. "Immigration and Customs Enforcement's primary mission is to protect the American people. If this guy believes any of these programs should not be enforced, he's certainly going to be a very weak advocate for them."
Kelly Nantel, a spokeswoman for ICE, told FoxNews.com that Hurtt has always been a proponent of the jail model of the 287(g) program, which gives local police authority to initiate deportation proceedings against illegal immigrants linked to serious crimes -- but as a police chief, he didn't favor more proactive local enforcement because he didn't believe it was the best utilization of his resources.
"I think the critics are only talking about half of what he said," she said. "He's always been a strong proponent of every law enforcement agency making those decision on their own."
Critics say his pro-immigration policies enabled illegal immigrants to kill two police officers and seriously injure another in Phoenix before he left in 2005 and to kill an officer in Houston before he retired in 2009.
The widow of one of the officers, Rodney Johnson, who was fatally shot by an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record, is suing Hurtt for enacting policies that she says led to his death.
But Nantel dismissed such allegations.
"The responsibility of those homicides lies on the shoulder of the individuals who committed the crimes," Nantel said.
Hurtt's position at ICE reportedly pays $180,000 a year.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/24/obama-administration-picks-critic-immigration-enforcement-key-role-ice/
FoxNews.Com
June 25, 2010
The Obama administration has tapped an outspoken critic of immigration enforcement on the local level to oversee and promote partnerships between federal and local officials on the issue.
Harold Hurtt, a former police chief in Houston and Phoenix, has been hired as the director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of State and Local Coordination. Starting July 6, Hurtt will supervise outreach and communication between ICE, local law enforcement agencies, tribal leaders and representatives from non-governmental organizations.
"Chief Hurtt is a respected member of the law enforcement community and understands the concerns of local law enforcement leaders," said John Morton, the Homeland Security assistant secretary for ICE. "His experience and skills will be an invaluable asset to the ICEs outreach and coordination efforts."
But as a police chief, Hurtt was a supporter of "sanctuary city" policies, by which illegal immigrants who don't commit crimes can live without fear of exposure or detainment because police don't check for immigration papers.
He also, during his tenure as Houston police chief, criticized ICE's key program that draws on local law enforcement's support.
"There's no way you can head up an office if you don't believe in what the office is supposed to do," Curtis Collier of U.S. Border Watch, told the Houston Chronicle. "Immigration and Customs Enforcement's primary mission is to protect the American people. If this guy believes any of these programs should not be enforced, he's certainly going to be a very weak advocate for them."
Kelly Nantel, a spokeswoman for ICE, told FoxNews.com that Hurtt has always been a proponent of the jail model of the 287(g) program, which gives local police authority to initiate deportation proceedings against illegal immigrants linked to serious crimes -- but as a police chief, he didn't favor more proactive local enforcement because he didn't believe it was the best utilization of his resources.
"I think the critics are only talking about half of what he said," she said. "He's always been a strong proponent of every law enforcement agency making those decision on their own."
Critics say his pro-immigration policies enabled illegal immigrants to kill two police officers and seriously injure another in Phoenix before he left in 2005 and to kill an officer in Houston before he retired in 2009.
The widow of one of the officers, Rodney Johnson, who was fatally shot by an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record, is suing Hurtt for enacting policies that she says led to his death.
But Nantel dismissed such allegations.
"The responsibility of those homicides lies on the shoulder of the individuals who committed the crimes," Nantel said.
Hurtt's position at ICE reportedly pays $180,000 a year.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/24/obama-administration-picks-critic-immigration-enforcement-key-role-ice/
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Sheriff plans new crime suppression, immigrant sweep
Reported by: Deborah Stocks
ABC 15
Last Update: 3/05/2010
Crime Suppression PHOENIX -- The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said Friday it is planning another crime suppression operation with the next two weeks.
According to a news release, deputies have arrested 77 undocumented immigrants on human smuggling charges over the past week, including eight Thursday night.
Officials say the arrests were the result of four traffic stops and one drop house discovered by deputies earlier this week.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio says the arrests by patrol deputies are on the rise after the department recently initiated a program to provide its 900 sworn deputies "training on the detection and arrest of illegal aliens."
The Sheriff's new program was initiated the federal government stripped 100 deputies of their authority to act as federal immigration agents.
http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoenixmetro/central/story/Sheriff-plans-new-crime-suppression-immigrant/veMkug4ZS0q4Tu_g2o_-Ag.cspx
ABC 15
Last Update: 3/05/2010
Crime Suppression PHOENIX -- The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said Friday it is planning another crime suppression operation with the next two weeks.
According to a news release, deputies have arrested 77 undocumented immigrants on human smuggling charges over the past week, including eight Thursday night.
Officials say the arrests were the result of four traffic stops and one drop house discovered by deputies earlier this week.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio says the arrests by patrol deputies are on the rise after the department recently initiated a program to provide its 900 sworn deputies "training on the detection and arrest of illegal aliens."
The Sheriff's new program was initiated the federal government stripped 100 deputies of their authority to act as federal immigration agents.
http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoenixmetro/central/story/Sheriff-plans-new-crime-suppression-immigrant/veMkug4ZS0q4Tu_g2o_-Ag.cspx
Friday, February 12, 2010
Two held for immigration after arrests
February 8, 2010 at 8:17 p.m.
Houma Today
THIBODAUX — Two men police say are in the country illegally are being held for immigration officials after they were arrested over the weekend in south Lafourche following separate incidents.
Arturo Ramos, 25, 135 E. 157th St., Galliano, was arrested after the Lafourche Sheriff's Office and State Police tried to pull him over about 2 a.m. Saturday on La. 308 in Cut Off when a deputy noticed he was driving without his headlights on, police said. Ramos allegedly refused to stop and hit speeds of more than 100 mph during the pursuit. He also allegedly swerved into oncoming traffic, forcing other vehicles off the road.
Ramos crashed the truck near La. 308 and East 161st Street and was tased by State Police trooper Frank Besson when he tried to run away, police said.
Ramos also refused to submit to a breath test, threatened one officer's family and threatened to blow up the Sheriff's Office substation in Galliano, police said.
He is charged with driving without headlights, aggravated flight from an officer, reckless operation, a traffic light violation, operating a vehicle without lawful presence in the United States, making threats, three counts of resisting an officer, fourth-offense DWI, and improper lane usage.
In the second, unrelated, arrest, deputies were called about 2:30 p.m. Saturday to Blackie's restaurant on La. 1 in Lockport on a report that a man was refusing to leave and trying to fight customers.
Juan Beltran, 25, 400 N. Carol St., Lockport, left the po-boy shop before police arrived but was later found bleeding in a wooded area near North Oak Street. Beltran told police his neighbor hit him because Beltran was drunk, police said. Beltran gave deputies a Social Security card and a permanent resident card as identification then later admitted both cards were fake, police said. He was identified by witnesses as the man causing the disturbance at the po-boy shop, police said. He is charged with two counts of disturbing the peace while intoxicated.
Both Beltran and Ramos are in the country illegally, police said. They are being held for transfer to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Their home countries were not immediately available.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20100208/HURBLOG/100209199?p=all&tc=pgall
Houma Today
THIBODAUX — Two men police say are in the country illegally are being held for immigration officials after they were arrested over the weekend in south Lafourche following separate incidents.
Arturo Ramos, 25, 135 E. 157th St., Galliano, was arrested after the Lafourche Sheriff's Office and State Police tried to pull him over about 2 a.m. Saturday on La. 308 in Cut Off when a deputy noticed he was driving without his headlights on, police said. Ramos allegedly refused to stop and hit speeds of more than 100 mph during the pursuit. He also allegedly swerved into oncoming traffic, forcing other vehicles off the road.
Ramos crashed the truck near La. 308 and East 161st Street and was tased by State Police trooper Frank Besson when he tried to run away, police said.
Ramos also refused to submit to a breath test, threatened one officer's family and threatened to blow up the Sheriff's Office substation in Galliano, police said.
He is charged with driving without headlights, aggravated flight from an officer, reckless operation, a traffic light violation, operating a vehicle without lawful presence in the United States, making threats, three counts of resisting an officer, fourth-offense DWI, and improper lane usage.
In the second, unrelated, arrest, deputies were called about 2:30 p.m. Saturday to Blackie's restaurant on La. 1 in Lockport on a report that a man was refusing to leave and trying to fight customers.
Juan Beltran, 25, 400 N. Carol St., Lockport, left the po-boy shop before police arrived but was later found bleeding in a wooded area near North Oak Street. Beltran told police his neighbor hit him because Beltran was drunk, police said. Beltran gave deputies a Social Security card and a permanent resident card as identification then later admitted both cards were fake, police said. He was identified by witnesses as the man causing the disturbance at the po-boy shop, police said. He is charged with two counts of disturbing the peace while intoxicated.
Both Beltran and Ramos are in the country illegally, police said. They are being held for transfer to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Their home countries were not immediately available.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20100208/HURBLOG/100209199?p=all&tc=pgall
Monday, November 2, 2009
Republicans Say Obama Administration Is Limiting Arrests of Illegal Aliens
By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer
The Cybercast News Service
Friday, October 30, 2009
(CNSNews.com) – Fifty-four members of Congress, mostly Republicans, have signed a letter to President Barack Obama praising the 287(g) program that allows specially trained state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law.
The Oct. 26 letter comes shortly after the Obama administration imposed new limits on state and local law enforcers, preventing them from arresting many of the illegal immigrants with whom they come into contact.
Instead of allowing local police to arrest people simply for being in the United States illegally, the Obama administration has now established categories of illegal aliens who are a “priority for arrest and detention.”
Those priorities include aliens convicted of or arrested for major crimes, including drug offenses and murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and kidnapping; aliens convicted of or arrested for minor drug offenses and property crimes such as burglary, larceny, fraud, and money laundering; and aliens who have been convicted of or arrested for “other offenses.”
Rep. Lamar Smith, ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, said contrary to claims that it was supposed to focus only on serious crimes, the 287(g) program was intended to allow states and local law enforcement officials to enforce all immigration laws – “not just a select few.”
“One of the most effective things we can do to prevent illegal immigrant crimes in the first place is to deport illegal immigrants before they’ve committed one, whether they are identified in jails or by law enforcement task forces,” Smith said.
Smith and the other letter-signers are urging the Obama administration not to “politicize this highly effective immigration enforcement and public safety program.”
Thanks to the 287(g) program, they said, thousands of illegal immigrants who are identified in jails and through task force operations are being deported. Smith added that the “open borders crowd” doesn’t like the program because it is working.
The 287(g) program – created by the Clinton-era Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 -- is operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
In a speech in August, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) allowing state and local law enforcement to participate in the 287(g) program had been “rewritten and reprioritized to focus on using them in jails and prisons.”
But in their Oct. 26 letter, lawmakers noted, “While the majority of the current 287(g) programs follow the jail intake model, the task force model is also a highly effective means of removing illegal immigrants from the streets. Both should be continued,” the letter said.
To date, more than 60 law enforcement agencies have either signed or agreed to sign the revised MOA.
As reported earlier by CNSNews.com, only one local law enforcement agency has had its immigration enforcement authority curbed.
In September, ICE notified Maricopa County (Ariz.) Sheriff Joe Arpaio that it was terminating his department’s authority to conduct “sweeps” (task force model) for illegal aliens. Arpaio’s department is still allowed to identify illegal aliens being held in Maricopa County jails.
Arpaio, who actively sought to identify illegal aliens flowing into his community, is now under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for possible civil rights violations.
Republicans note that the revised MOA also requires local and state law enforcement to get approval from ICE before releasing information about immigration enforcement activities to the media or the public.
“Federal, state, and local cooperation is key to combating illegal immigration,” the Oct. 26 letter concluded. “So it is crucial for the federal government to continue to support the range of 287(g) operational programs in jurisdictions throughout the United States.”
The only Democrat signing the Oct. 26 letter was Rep. Heath Shuler of N.C.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/56382
The Cybercast News Service
Friday, October 30, 2009
(CNSNews.com) – Fifty-four members of Congress, mostly Republicans, have signed a letter to President Barack Obama praising the 287(g) program that allows specially trained state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law.
The Oct. 26 letter comes shortly after the Obama administration imposed new limits on state and local law enforcers, preventing them from arresting many of the illegal immigrants with whom they come into contact.
Instead of allowing local police to arrest people simply for being in the United States illegally, the Obama administration has now established categories of illegal aliens who are a “priority for arrest and detention.”
Those priorities include aliens convicted of or arrested for major crimes, including drug offenses and murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and kidnapping; aliens convicted of or arrested for minor drug offenses and property crimes such as burglary, larceny, fraud, and money laundering; and aliens who have been convicted of or arrested for “other offenses.”
Rep. Lamar Smith, ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, said contrary to claims that it was supposed to focus only on serious crimes, the 287(g) program was intended to allow states and local law enforcement officials to enforce all immigration laws – “not just a select few.”
“One of the most effective things we can do to prevent illegal immigrant crimes in the first place is to deport illegal immigrants before they’ve committed one, whether they are identified in jails or by law enforcement task forces,” Smith said.
Smith and the other letter-signers are urging the Obama administration not to “politicize this highly effective immigration enforcement and public safety program.”
Thanks to the 287(g) program, they said, thousands of illegal immigrants who are identified in jails and through task force operations are being deported. Smith added that the “open borders crowd” doesn’t like the program because it is working.
The 287(g) program – created by the Clinton-era Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 -- is operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
In a speech in August, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) allowing state and local law enforcement to participate in the 287(g) program had been “rewritten and reprioritized to focus on using them in jails and prisons.”
But in their Oct. 26 letter, lawmakers noted, “While the majority of the current 287(g) programs follow the jail intake model, the task force model is also a highly effective means of removing illegal immigrants from the streets. Both should be continued,” the letter said.
To date, more than 60 law enforcement agencies have either signed or agreed to sign the revised MOA.
As reported earlier by CNSNews.com, only one local law enforcement agency has had its immigration enforcement authority curbed.
In September, ICE notified Maricopa County (Ariz.) Sheriff Joe Arpaio that it was terminating his department’s authority to conduct “sweeps” (task force model) for illegal aliens. Arpaio’s department is still allowed to identify illegal aliens being held in Maricopa County jails.
Arpaio, who actively sought to identify illegal aliens flowing into his community, is now under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for possible civil rights violations.
Republicans note that the revised MOA also requires local and state law enforcement to get approval from ICE before releasing information about immigration enforcement activities to the media or the public.
“Federal, state, and local cooperation is key to combating illegal immigration,” the Oct. 26 letter concluded. “So it is crucial for the federal government to continue to support the range of 287(g) operational programs in jurisdictions throughout the United States.”
The only Democrat signing the Oct. 26 letter was Rep. Heath Shuler of N.C.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/56382
Saturday, October 24, 2009
POLICE LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY CALL FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM
The Cypress Times
10/22/2009
Washington, DC – Today, leading police executives from states as diverse as California, Iowa and Texas joined a growing chorus of law enforcement officials calling for comprehensive immigration reform. The law enforcement leaders, who discussed the issue during a telephonic press conference, described how the broken immigration system damages public trust and harms public safety. They stressed the importance of getting input from state and local law enforcement as Congress prepares to take up immigration reform in early 2010.
The speakers called for reform legislation that would strengthen border security, restore the rule of law, and legalize undocumented workers in order to build relationships of trust between all residents and the police and enhance public safety.
One of the participants in the press call, Chief of Police Rick Braziel of Sacramento, CA, stated, “Our city is one of the most diverse and integrated cities in America. We celebrate our cultural heritage and differences and strive to be inclusive. We can’t afford to have a group of residents be afraid of reporting crime because they believe we may report them for deportation. To allow that fear to exist in the minds of victims or witnesses endangers them and the rest of the community and lets criminals off the hook. Without comprehensive immigration reform, we place our communities and our nation at risk. It is time for Congress to take action on immigration reform to increase public safety and encourage full civic participation from all members of our community.”
“We can’t have an officer on every corner so that we may feel safe, but we can expect every citizen to be our eyes and ears. When members of the community are afraid of the police, it is counterproductive to our mission of public safety and national security. Not calling the police because of a fear of deportation allows further victimization and harms public safety. Washington needs to address our failed immigration policies and needs to enact a comprehensive immigration reform immediately,” added Arturo Venegas, the retired Chief of Police from Sacramento and now the Project Director of the Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative (LEEI).
Sheriff Bill McCarthy of Polk County, Iowa said, “In my county we have immigrants working hard and contributing to the economy. They are part of the fabric of our communities. As we’ve seen following the government’s raid in Postville, the lack of comprehensive immigration reform is hurting local economies, breaking up families, and compromising community trust. We need to be sure that every person living here knows that they can talk to the police and report crimes. Law enforcement needs to stay focused on its mission of preventing and investigating crimes, not checking immigration status. Comprehensive immigration reform is overdue and needed from a law enforcement perspective.”
Deputy Chief Kim Lemaux of Arlington, Texas spoke about her police department’s participation in a year-long study conducted by the Police Foundation. “Here in Arlington, we came to the conclusion that the issue of immigration needs to remain the responsibility of federal law enforcement agencies. Local police agencies are already tasked with enforcing state, local and traffic laws and we need all of our resources directed at those responsibilities.” The Police Foundation’s study culminated in a report, released in April, which highlighted the fact that civil immigration enforcement diverts local police departments from core priorities and harms their ability to work with members of the immigrant community to identify and solve crimes. Deputy Chief Lemaux added, “The Arlington Police Department operates under a community-policing strategy, working to keep all of our residents vested in the safety of their community. If a group of residents fear the police, then they will not turn to officers for help, making them more viable victims. It is imperative that we are able to reach residents in every community in order for local law enforcement to focus on its core mission, fighting crime. As Congress considers the future of immigration and possible reform in the upcoming session, it is important that the needs and abilities of local law enforcement be a part of the discussion. ”
http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/National_News/POLICE_LEADERS_FROM_ACROSS_THE_COUNTRY_CALL_FOR_IMMIGRATION_REFORM/25364
10/22/2009
Washington, DC – Today, leading police executives from states as diverse as California, Iowa and Texas joined a growing chorus of law enforcement officials calling for comprehensive immigration reform. The law enforcement leaders, who discussed the issue during a telephonic press conference, described how the broken immigration system damages public trust and harms public safety. They stressed the importance of getting input from state and local law enforcement as Congress prepares to take up immigration reform in early 2010.
The speakers called for reform legislation that would strengthen border security, restore the rule of law, and legalize undocumented workers in order to build relationships of trust between all residents and the police and enhance public safety.
One of the participants in the press call, Chief of Police Rick Braziel of Sacramento, CA, stated, “Our city is one of the most diverse and integrated cities in America. We celebrate our cultural heritage and differences and strive to be inclusive. We can’t afford to have a group of residents be afraid of reporting crime because they believe we may report them for deportation. To allow that fear to exist in the minds of victims or witnesses endangers them and the rest of the community and lets criminals off the hook. Without comprehensive immigration reform, we place our communities and our nation at risk. It is time for Congress to take action on immigration reform to increase public safety and encourage full civic participation from all members of our community.”
“We can’t have an officer on every corner so that we may feel safe, but we can expect every citizen to be our eyes and ears. When members of the community are afraid of the police, it is counterproductive to our mission of public safety and national security. Not calling the police because of a fear of deportation allows further victimization and harms public safety. Washington needs to address our failed immigration policies and needs to enact a comprehensive immigration reform immediately,” added Arturo Venegas, the retired Chief of Police from Sacramento and now the Project Director of the Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative (LEEI).
Sheriff Bill McCarthy of Polk County, Iowa said, “In my county we have immigrants working hard and contributing to the economy. They are part of the fabric of our communities. As we’ve seen following the government’s raid in Postville, the lack of comprehensive immigration reform is hurting local economies, breaking up families, and compromising community trust. We need to be sure that every person living here knows that they can talk to the police and report crimes. Law enforcement needs to stay focused on its mission of preventing and investigating crimes, not checking immigration status. Comprehensive immigration reform is overdue and needed from a law enforcement perspective.”
Deputy Chief Kim Lemaux of Arlington, Texas spoke about her police department’s participation in a year-long study conducted by the Police Foundation. “Here in Arlington, we came to the conclusion that the issue of immigration needs to remain the responsibility of federal law enforcement agencies. Local police agencies are already tasked with enforcing state, local and traffic laws and we need all of our resources directed at those responsibilities.” The Police Foundation’s study culminated in a report, released in April, which highlighted the fact that civil immigration enforcement diverts local police departments from core priorities and harms their ability to work with members of the immigrant community to identify and solve crimes. Deputy Chief Lemaux added, “The Arlington Police Department operates under a community-policing strategy, working to keep all of our residents vested in the safety of their community. If a group of residents fear the police, then they will not turn to officers for help, making them more viable victims. It is imperative that we are able to reach residents in every community in order for local law enforcement to focus on its core mission, fighting crime. As Congress considers the future of immigration and possible reform in the upcoming session, it is important that the needs and abilities of local law enforcement be a part of the discussion. ”
http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/National_News/POLICE_LEADERS_FROM_ACROSS_THE_COUNTRY_CALL_FOR_IMMIGRATION_REFORM/25364
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Feds cut Ariz. sheriff's enforcement powers
By Audrey Hudson
The Washington Times
October 16, 2009
Homeland Security officials have agreements with nearly 70 local law enforcement agencies to oversee charges against illegal immigrants for violent or criminal acts that trigger deportation under new federal rules.
That includes the contentious Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., who will continue to work with federal authorities when illegal immigrants are booked into his jail, but his agency will not be a part of the federal task force that makes some of the actual arrests.
As the deadline passed Friday for agencies to participate in the so-called 287(g) program, 55 agreements had been signed plus more than a dozen more are awaiting approval or still in negotiations, including participation by 11 new departments.
At least six departments have withdrawn from the program citing various reasons including budgetary constraints, said John Morton, assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
No agencies in the District or Maryland are participating. In Virginia, the Prince William County Sheriff's Office, police department and Prince William-Manassas Adult Detention Center have renewed their agreements. So have the Manassas Police Department, Manassas Park Police Department, Rockingham County Sheriff's Office and Shenanodah County Sheriff's Office.
The program expedites the deportation of criminal aliens by identifying those already in jail to be deported after time served, and by training and enlisting local police officers to arrest those who pose a threat to local communities.
"These new partnerships are an essential tool for law enforcement to identify and remove dangerous criminal aliens from local communities," Mr. Morton said.
The new agreements are intended to curb reported abuses in the program wherein illegal immigrants were arrested for minor offenses, and amidst allegations of profiling.
Sheriff Arpaio will continue to participate in the jail program, where officers will identify aliens among his 10,000 prisoners who are eligible for removal.
Although his agency is no longer an official part of the task force, Sheriff Arpaio says he will continue to conduct raids to enforce immigration laws.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/16/feds-limit-arizona-sheriff-enforcement-powers/
The Washington Times
October 16, 2009
Homeland Security officials have agreements with nearly 70 local law enforcement agencies to oversee charges against illegal immigrants for violent or criminal acts that trigger deportation under new federal rules.
That includes the contentious Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., who will continue to work with federal authorities when illegal immigrants are booked into his jail, but his agency will not be a part of the federal task force that makes some of the actual arrests.
As the deadline passed Friday for agencies to participate in the so-called 287(g) program, 55 agreements had been signed plus more than a dozen more are awaiting approval or still in negotiations, including participation by 11 new departments.
At least six departments have withdrawn from the program citing various reasons including budgetary constraints, said John Morton, assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
No agencies in the District or Maryland are participating. In Virginia, the Prince William County Sheriff's Office, police department and Prince William-Manassas Adult Detention Center have renewed their agreements. So have the Manassas Police Department, Manassas Park Police Department, Rockingham County Sheriff's Office and Shenanodah County Sheriff's Office.
The program expedites the deportation of criminal aliens by identifying those already in jail to be deported after time served, and by training and enlisting local police officers to arrest those who pose a threat to local communities.
"These new partnerships are an essential tool for law enforcement to identify and remove dangerous criminal aliens from local communities," Mr. Morton said.
The new agreements are intended to curb reported abuses in the program wherein illegal immigrants were arrested for minor offenses, and amidst allegations of profiling.
Sheriff Arpaio will continue to participate in the jail program, where officers will identify aliens among his 10,000 prisoners who are eligible for removal.
Although his agency is no longer an official part of the task force, Sheriff Arpaio says he will continue to conduct raids to enforce immigration laws.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/16/feds-limit-arizona-sheriff-enforcement-powers/
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Immigration Hard-Liner Has His Wings Clipped
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD
The New York Times
October 7, 2009
PHOENIX — The Maricopa County sheriff, who has drawn scorn and praise for a running crackdown on illegal immigrants in this city’s metropolitan area, said Tuesday that federal officials had taken away his deputies’ authority to make immigration arrests in the field.
The sheriff, Joe Arpaio, whose high-profile sweeps have been cited in the fevered debate over the need for an overhaul of immigration laws, said he had sought a renewed agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to allow both field arrests and immigration checks at his jails. But a high-level department official presented a document a couple of weeks ago allowing only for jail checks, Mr. Arpaio said.
That prompted an angry, rambling outburst from the sheriff Tuesday at a news conference at which he called Homeland Security officials “liars” and vowed to press on with his campaign, using state laws, against illegal immigrants. He said he would drive those caught on the streets to the border if federal officers refused to take them into custody.
Homeland Security officials declined to comment, saying they are still reviewing their agreement with the sheriff’s department and the other 65 agencies that participate in a program that allows local and state officers to make immigration arrests.
Immigrant advocates and some lawmakers have called on the department to end the program, known as 287(g) after the section of the 1996 law that authorized it, saying it has led to racial profiling and other abuses. Several advocates put out statements Tuesday expressing dismay that the department was keeping any relationship with Mr. Arpaio.
Last week, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus wrote to President Obama, urging him to “immediately terminate” the program because of the complaints.
A report this year by Congress’ watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, found that the program had not been closely supervised and that it had often led to the arrest of minor offenders instead of the criminals it was intended to pursue.
The Homeland Security Department has sought to mend it the program, not end it.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that runs it, this summer announced an overhaul of the program and sought to reach new agreements with the agencies involved. Two agencies in Massachusetts have since announced their withdrawal from the program.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, with some 160 federally trained deputies, is the largest in the program and the most closely scrutinized by people on all sides of the immigration debate.
Mr. Arpaio conceded that the vast majority of the 33,000 arrests of illegal immigrants his office has made in the past two years under the agreement followed a check on the immigration status of people in jails. About 300 have been arrested in the field during “crime suppression” operations, he said. He called those arrests symbolically important.
“It has to do with public perception,” he said, noting reports that some illegal immigrants are leaving the area in part because of his deputies. “I think the bad guys apparently are leaving because they know they are here illegally. This is a crime deterrent program, too.”
In March, the Justice Department’s civil rights division announced that it was investigating the department, but Mr. Arpaio has conducted sweeps since then and he predicted that he would be exonerated.
The Maricopa agreement was also being watched to see if Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a Democrat and the former governor of Arizona, would take the opportunity to rein in Mr. Arpaio, a Republican and one of the state’s most popular figures. Although they did not often clash publicly, their political supporters often lashed out at one another.
By the account of Mr. Arpaio and his aides, he signed a copy of a new agreement on Sept. 21, allowing for both field and jail arrests. But that evening, Alonzo Pena, a top Immigration and Customs Enforcement official, called from Washington and said he would be arriving in Phoenix the next day to discuss it.
After he arrived, Mr. Pena presented Mr. Arpaio another agreement that allowed only for jail checks.
Mr. Arpaio signed it, but it still must be approved by the county’s governing board. The board has been sympathetic to Mr. Arpaio on immigration matters, but he suggested the vote was far from a done deal.
Either way, he and his supporters vowed to press on.
Andrew Thomas, the county attorney, appeared with Mr. Arpaio to voice his support and condemn the “setback in the fight against illegal immigration.” Mr. Thomas said, “The fight goes on.”
He and Mr. Arpaio suggested that deputies could use the state anti-human smuggling law to make stops and refer suspected illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, though it was not clear whether the agency would take them.
If not, the sheriff said, “I’ll take a little trip to the border and turn them over to the border.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/us/07arizona.html?_r=1&ref=us
The New York Times
October 7, 2009
PHOENIX — The Maricopa County sheriff, who has drawn scorn and praise for a running crackdown on illegal immigrants in this city’s metropolitan area, said Tuesday that federal officials had taken away his deputies’ authority to make immigration arrests in the field.
The sheriff, Joe Arpaio, whose high-profile sweeps have been cited in the fevered debate over the need for an overhaul of immigration laws, said he had sought a renewed agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to allow both field arrests and immigration checks at his jails. But a high-level department official presented a document a couple of weeks ago allowing only for jail checks, Mr. Arpaio said.
That prompted an angry, rambling outburst from the sheriff Tuesday at a news conference at which he called Homeland Security officials “liars” and vowed to press on with his campaign, using state laws, against illegal immigrants. He said he would drive those caught on the streets to the border if federal officers refused to take them into custody.
Homeland Security officials declined to comment, saying they are still reviewing their agreement with the sheriff’s department and the other 65 agencies that participate in a program that allows local and state officers to make immigration arrests.
Immigrant advocates and some lawmakers have called on the department to end the program, known as 287(g) after the section of the 1996 law that authorized it, saying it has led to racial profiling and other abuses. Several advocates put out statements Tuesday expressing dismay that the department was keeping any relationship with Mr. Arpaio.
Last week, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus wrote to President Obama, urging him to “immediately terminate” the program because of the complaints.
A report this year by Congress’ watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, found that the program had not been closely supervised and that it had often led to the arrest of minor offenders instead of the criminals it was intended to pursue.
The Homeland Security Department has sought to mend it the program, not end it.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that runs it, this summer announced an overhaul of the program and sought to reach new agreements with the agencies involved. Two agencies in Massachusetts have since announced their withdrawal from the program.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, with some 160 federally trained deputies, is the largest in the program and the most closely scrutinized by people on all sides of the immigration debate.
Mr. Arpaio conceded that the vast majority of the 33,000 arrests of illegal immigrants his office has made in the past two years under the agreement followed a check on the immigration status of people in jails. About 300 have been arrested in the field during “crime suppression” operations, he said. He called those arrests symbolically important.
“It has to do with public perception,” he said, noting reports that some illegal immigrants are leaving the area in part because of his deputies. “I think the bad guys apparently are leaving because they know they are here illegally. This is a crime deterrent program, too.”
In March, the Justice Department’s civil rights division announced that it was investigating the department, but Mr. Arpaio has conducted sweeps since then and he predicted that he would be exonerated.
The Maricopa agreement was also being watched to see if Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a Democrat and the former governor of Arizona, would take the opportunity to rein in Mr. Arpaio, a Republican and one of the state’s most popular figures. Although they did not often clash publicly, their political supporters often lashed out at one another.
By the account of Mr. Arpaio and his aides, he signed a copy of a new agreement on Sept. 21, allowing for both field and jail arrests. But that evening, Alonzo Pena, a top Immigration and Customs Enforcement official, called from Washington and said he would be arriving in Phoenix the next day to discuss it.
After he arrived, Mr. Pena presented Mr. Arpaio another agreement that allowed only for jail checks.
Mr. Arpaio signed it, but it still must be approved by the county’s governing board. The board has been sympathetic to Mr. Arpaio on immigration matters, but he suggested the vote was far from a done deal.
Either way, he and his supporters vowed to press on.
Andrew Thomas, the county attorney, appeared with Mr. Arpaio to voice his support and condemn the “setback in the fight against illegal immigration.” Mr. Thomas said, “The fight goes on.”
He and Mr. Arpaio suggested that deputies could use the state anti-human smuggling law to make stops and refer suspected illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, though it was not clear whether the agency would take them.
If not, the sheriff said, “I’ll take a little trip to the border and turn them over to the border.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/us/07arizona.html?_r=1&ref=us
Thursday, September 10, 2009
CHP: Feds arrest 12 in immigration raid at Lake Tahoe
By Kyle Magin
Tahoe Daily Tribune
September 3, 2009
KINGS BEACH, Calif. — Federal immigration officers arrested 12 suspected illegal immigrants after stationing near a recent DUI checkpoint on Lake Tahoe's North Shore, a California Highway Patrol officer said Thursday.
Sgt. Steve Bryan of California Highway Patrol said federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers stood by a highway patrol DUI checkpoint Friday, Aug. 28, in Kings Beach, arresting those who didn't have proper identification.
Calls to ICE weren't immediately returned Thursday to ascertain the status of those arrested.
CHP conducted the checkpoint — on State Highway 28 just east of the intersection with State Highway 267 — solely to look for drunken drivers and ensure people were driving with valid licenses, Bryan said. He said ICE worked independently at the checkpoint to search for suspected illegals.
The highway patrol arrested three drivers for DUI, issued nine driver's license-related citations and impounded four vehicles which weren't properly registered.
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20090903/NEWS/909039997/1056/NONE&parentprofile=1056
Tahoe Daily Tribune
September 3, 2009
KINGS BEACH, Calif. — Federal immigration officers arrested 12 suspected illegal immigrants after stationing near a recent DUI checkpoint on Lake Tahoe's North Shore, a California Highway Patrol officer said Thursday.
Sgt. Steve Bryan of California Highway Patrol said federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers stood by a highway patrol DUI checkpoint Friday, Aug. 28, in Kings Beach, arresting those who didn't have proper identification.
Calls to ICE weren't immediately returned Thursday to ascertain the status of those arrested.
CHP conducted the checkpoint — on State Highway 28 just east of the intersection with State Highway 267 — solely to look for drunken drivers and ensure people were driving with valid licenses, Bryan said. He said ICE worked independently at the checkpoint to search for suspected illegals.
The highway patrol arrested three drivers for DUI, issued nine driver's license-related citations and impounded four vehicles which weren't properly registered.
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20090903/NEWS/909039997/1056/NONE&parentprofile=1056
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Janet Napolitano, Barack Obama's Token Nativist
Janet Napolitano, Barack Obama's Token Nativist
By Stephen Lemons in Feathered Bastard
Monday, Feb. 16 2009
With every statement uttered from her perch as Homeland Security czar, in every action she takes each day her fanny remains in its cozy D.C. seat, ex-Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano reaffirms that she's Barack Obama's token nativist. Best to think of her as a chunky, skunk-haired version of the Child Catcher from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But Nappy's not just after kids, she's after undocumented Hispanics of all ages, and she remains focused on rounding them up and sending them back with absolutely zero compassion or concern for their humanity.
Of course, everyone knows she's taken it upon herself to ramp up the 287(g) program, allowing local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law. But take these comments to NPR's Madeleine Brand, in an interview posted today on NPR's Web site:
"We have an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country," asks Brand. "What do you do about them?"
"Ultimately, that's for the Congress to decide," Nappy replies coldly, "and at some point in time, I think the president and the Congress will work out when it is appropriate to take that topic up again. But right now we're focusing on human traffickers -- those who are really exploiting this illegal market to great financial gain. We're going after those in our country illegally who have also committed other crimes. We're going after those who are in our jails and prisons who are also in our country illegally to make sure that once they complete their sentence, they're immediately subject to deportation."
And if they're busted for some lame-ass traffic violation? Hey, that seems to count too, in the Napster's estimation. Sheesh, why didn't Obama just make Sand Land Republican chair and ardent anti-Mexican Randy Pullen the head of DHS? Or even neo-Nazi-hugger and state Senator Russell Pearce?
Brand asks about "changing immigration policy to allow more or fewer immigrants in," but Nappy's having none of it.
"Again, that's for the Congress to decide," she tells Brand.
Brand inquires about "often quite wrenching scenes of mothers and children being separated and sent across the border," and she wonders if Janet's "going to change the policy of these workplace raids."
But Janet, ever the equivocator, dodges the question.
"What we are going to do is really focus on the employers and make sure that they are subject to criminal penalties for violating the law," replies Nappy. "I met with the attorney general for the United States, Eric Holder, to talk about how we unite the forces of the U.S. Attorney's offices across the country with our offices to make sure that those who are actually benefiting financially in large scale from this pay a criminal sanction."
In other words, expect the raids and those "quite wrenching scenes of mothers and children being separated" to continue. In the interview, Napolitano brags about signing Russell Pearce's employer sanctions bill in AZ, just as she did during her confirmation hearings. See, she's proud to be an anti-immigrant Know Nothing, or the closest thing to it in the Obama camp.
The transcript of the conversation does not reveal what Nappy thinks about being ordered by the House Judiciary Committee to investigate her ol' buddy Sheriff Joe Arpaio's 287(g) agreement with the feds. And since the podcast was playing the wrong segment when I checked, it's unclear if she asked about it by Brand. Maybe the press has once again let Napolitano slide on a tough issue. Fortunately, the Napster will have to answer to Congress, and I hope they grill her ass raw the next time she has to go before 'em.
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2009/02/janet_napolitano_barack_obamas.php
By Stephen Lemons in Feathered Bastard
Monday, Feb. 16 2009
With every statement uttered from her perch as Homeland Security czar, in every action she takes each day her fanny remains in its cozy D.C. seat, ex-Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano reaffirms that she's Barack Obama's token nativist. Best to think of her as a chunky, skunk-haired version of the Child Catcher from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But Nappy's not just after kids, she's after undocumented Hispanics of all ages, and she remains focused on rounding them up and sending them back with absolutely zero compassion or concern for their humanity.
Of course, everyone knows she's taken it upon herself to ramp up the 287(g) program, allowing local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law. But take these comments to NPR's Madeleine Brand, in an interview posted today on NPR's Web site:
"We have an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country," asks Brand. "What do you do about them?"
"Ultimately, that's for the Congress to decide," Nappy replies coldly, "and at some point in time, I think the president and the Congress will work out when it is appropriate to take that topic up again. But right now we're focusing on human traffickers -- those who are really exploiting this illegal market to great financial gain. We're going after those in our country illegally who have also committed other crimes. We're going after those who are in our jails and prisons who are also in our country illegally to make sure that once they complete their sentence, they're immediately subject to deportation."
And if they're busted for some lame-ass traffic violation? Hey, that seems to count too, in the Napster's estimation. Sheesh, why didn't Obama just make Sand Land Republican chair and ardent anti-Mexican Randy Pullen the head of DHS? Or even neo-Nazi-hugger and state Senator Russell Pearce?
Brand asks about "changing immigration policy to allow more or fewer immigrants in," but Nappy's having none of it.
"Again, that's for the Congress to decide," she tells Brand.
Brand inquires about "often quite wrenching scenes of mothers and children being separated and sent across the border," and she wonders if Janet's "going to change the policy of these workplace raids."
But Janet, ever the equivocator, dodges the question.
"What we are going to do is really focus on the employers and make sure that they are subject to criminal penalties for violating the law," replies Nappy. "I met with the attorney general for the United States, Eric Holder, to talk about how we unite the forces of the U.S. Attorney's offices across the country with our offices to make sure that those who are actually benefiting financially in large scale from this pay a criminal sanction."
In other words, expect the raids and those "quite wrenching scenes of mothers and children being separated" to continue. In the interview, Napolitano brags about signing Russell Pearce's employer sanctions bill in AZ, just as she did during her confirmation hearings. See, she's proud to be an anti-immigrant Know Nothing, or the closest thing to it in the Obama camp.
The transcript of the conversation does not reveal what Nappy thinks about being ordered by the House Judiciary Committee to investigate her ol' buddy Sheriff Joe Arpaio's 287(g) agreement with the feds. And since the podcast was playing the wrong segment when I checked, it's unclear if she asked about it by Brand. Maybe the press has once again let Napolitano slide on a tough issue. Fortunately, the Napster will have to answer to Congress, and I hope they grill her ass raw the next time she has to go before 'em.
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2009/02/janet_napolitano_barack_obamas.php
Sunday, November 23, 2008
ICE makes arrests in Flagstaff sweep
ICE makes arrests in Flagstaff sweep
Associated Press
November 22, 2008
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have made more than a dozen arrests in Flagstaff in recent days.
ICE officials say the raids began Wednesday and should wrap up Saturday. Agents are targeting non-citizens who have ignored orders to leave the country.
Officials at the Coconino County sheriff's jail say 16 people had been booked by Friday and most had already been sent to either Phoenix or Tucson to be deported.
Flagstaff police aren't taking part in the raids. The department has a policy that they will only ask immigration status of a person upon a criminal arrest.
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=9397912
Associated Press
November 22, 2008
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have made more than a dozen arrests in Flagstaff in recent days.
ICE officials say the raids began Wednesday and should wrap up Saturday. Agents are targeting non-citizens who have ignored orders to leave the country.
Officials at the Coconino County sheriff's jail say 16 people had been booked by Friday and most had already been sent to either Phoenix or Tucson to be deported.
Flagstaff police aren't taking part in the raids. The department has a policy that they will only ask immigration status of a person upon a criminal arrest.
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=9397912
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