Thread: Federal customs agents accused of not cooperating

Published: 09.25.2006
Federal customs agents accused of not cooperating
By JACQUES BILLEAUD
The Associated Press
As border woes have become a big issue in politics this year, some politicians in Arizona are blaming a federal agency for failing to cooperate with state and local authorities in helping battle illegal immigration.
The chief criticism is that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement often fails to respond to calls from police to pick up immigrants pulled over in cars and trucks and found hiding in stash houses.
That leaves local and state authorities little choice but to cut loose the immigrants if they aren't suspected of a crime under Arizona law.
But six police departments in metropolitan Phoenix, a key hub for smuggling illegal immigrants throughout the country, said the agency responsible for immigration enforcement beyond the borderlands responds regularly to requests to pick up immigrants.
"Almost nine out of 10 times, they would come out and assist us and take over the investigation," said Sgt. Chuck Trapani, a police spokesman in Mesa. "They would take over the call. It's fantastic."
While the U.S. Border Patrol monitors the southern part of the state, from the border to an area north of Tucson, one of the duties of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is to target smugglers in metro Phoenix and remove illegal immigrants from the country.
Many of Arizona's critics of ICE said the Border Patrol does a better job of responding to calls for help and that the government pays far too little attention to interior enforcement.
ICE said it responded to 430 requests for assistance from state and local agencies in Arizona over a 12-month period ending in July, though it declined to provide figures on the number of times agents didn't respond to requests.
Roger Vanderpool, director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, said his officers have gotten poor responses from the federal agency, especially in calls from rural areas.
"You get in the Phoenix area, and especially north of Phoenix, it is literally nonexistent to get a response to pick up a load of (illegal immigrants)," Vanderpool said.
Still, he said the responses are starting to get better.
Asked to reconcile the criticism of state officials about the agency with favorable reviews from some police departments, Gov. Janet Napolitano said, "They are telling me something else."
Napolitano has said ICE failed to adequately staff its Arizona operation and refused to share information with state authorities.
ICE spokeswoman Jamie Zuieback said the agency enjoys a good relationship with state and local authorities in Arizona.
"We have specific priorities," said Zuieback. "We have certain responsibilities under the law and will do as much as we possibly can."
The agency has been criticized as well for pulling out of a state effort to attack the financial workings of smuggling groups and refusing for two months to take custody of people convicted under an Arizona immigrant smuggling law.
Napolitano and state Attorney General Terry Goddard have touted the financial investigations as essential.
State authorities said they seized $15 million after they monitored money wiring transfers into Arizona and were given state court permission to target the assets of alleged smugglers.
Goddard said state authorities have continued the financial investigations without ICE.
But, he added, the federal agency's assistance could aid in detaining witnesses and getting testimony.
Earlier this month, the federal agency ended its policy of not picking up immigrants convicted of smuggling under Arizona law.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said his officers had to drive hundreds of miles to bring about 60 immigrants to Border Patrol offices, even though Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents regularly got to his jail on other cases.
"They don't really seem to care very much," said Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
He said he was frustrated at the federal agency's refusal to pick up the felons.
"I'm not quite sure what they do at this point, other than collect a paycheck," he said.
Zuieback said she didn't know the reason for the previous policy, but that recently freed-up resources spawned the change.
ICE has trained and authorized 12 state corrections employees to help speed the transfer of immigrants serving time in state prisons to federal custody for deportation.
State officials said the move saved the state nearly $3 million in costs that would have been incurred waiting for federal authorities to take custody.
The Governor's Office said the effort was driven by a state official and that the federal agency was reluctant to cooperate.
Four ICE agents serve on a 12-member task force focusing on fraudulent IDs, which are used frequently by illegal immigrants.
Authorities taking part in the effort have broken up 17 fake ID operations this year. "They (ICE officials) have been nothing but wonderful partners," task force head Leesa Berens Morrison said.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/27223.php

Very interesting.......and remember the controversy and concern about the new head of ICE ? Everyone said she wouldn't be up for the job.....and that she is too chummy with the Bush administration.

It sounds to me as though the American people know what they are talking about and that somebody should be listening to them.

Asked to reconcile the criticism of state officials about the agency with favorable reviews from some police departments, Gov. Janet Napolitano said, "They are telling me something else."

That there's what we common folk call CYA.

In all fairness to ICE, there just aren't enough agents to conducts raids, perform investigations, and pick up every illegal immigrant arrested by local law enforcement. We need more agents, a lot more!

I'll be more than happy to support ICE and I want to have high hopes for them.....but my concern is that GWB may be holding them back from growing into the strong agency that they need to be.

Our president has a history of putting people in uniform out there with their hands tied behind their backs.

Has anyone ever seen exactly what ICE's priorities and responsibilites are?

I ask because it seems "priorities" is something that seems to keep popping up as a fall back when someone questions them and they don't have an acceptable answer.

(edit) I'm not trying to be harsh on ICE, I just want to find a better understanding if there is one.