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  1. #1
    Senior Member FedUpinFarmersBranch's Avatar
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    U.S. lawmaker: Migrant cases detract from serious crimes

    U.S. lawmaker: Migrant cases detract from serious crimes
    by Jerry Kammer - Sept. 24, 2008 12:00 AM
    Republic Washington Bureau
    WASHINGTON - While the Bush administration has stepped up immigration enforcement along the U.S. borders, it has short-changed and politicized the courts that handle immigration cases, the chairwoman of a House panel said Tuesday.

    Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., who heads the subcommittee that oversees immigration policy, also said the administration's decision to criminally prosecute some illegal immigrants for crossing the border is diverting resources from the prosecution of other offenses.

    Prosecutions for illegal entry are an attempt to discourage illegal immigration by raising the stakes for people crossing from Mexico, confronting them with the possibility of imprisonment rather than simply sending them back across the border.

    "We've had feedback privately from U.S. attorneys that they've been pulled off organized crime and drug smuggling and the like to do massive expansions of these prosecutions of busboys and gardeners," Lofgren said during a sometimes-contentious oversight hearing of the Justice Department's administration of immigration courts.

    As part of the program, officials want to prosecute up to 100 cases a day in the busiest human-smuggling area on the border.

    Mexican authorities have said that illegal immigrants have been deterred from crossing by the prospect of spending two weeks to six months in prison for the misdemeanor crime.

    Historically, illegal immigrants have immediately been shipped back to Mexico if they did not have criminal records. But if they are caught re-entering illegally again, they are charged with felonies, which can carry sentences up to five years.

    Democrats and Republicans on the panel agreed that the administration and Congress need to provide money to hire more immigration judges. They said the 215 judges nationwide are being overwhelmed by a workload that exceeds 300,000 cases annually.

    Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said hiring more judges "is just as important as hiring additional Border Patrol agents."

    But Smith added that the stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws would ultimately reduce the immigration courts' workload.

    "There will be less of an incentive to come here in the first place ... (and) a decrease in the number of matters that come before the immigration courts," Smith said.

    During the hearing, Lofgren, who practiced immigration law before entering Congress, and Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, traded charges that the hiring of immigration judges has become politically motivated.

    A July report by the Justice Department's inspector general and Office of Professional Responsibility cited evidence that several former Justice Department officials during George W. Bush's administration violated federal law "by considering political or ideological affiliations in soliciting and evaluating candidates" for immigration judgeships.

    Immigration judges are supposed to be career officials, not political appointees.

    King countered by citing claims that during the Clinton administration, the selection of immigration judges had systematically discriminated against White males.

    Those claims led to a class-action lawsuit that ended with a multimillion-dollar, out-of-court settlement.


    Reach the reporter at jkammer@gns.gannett.com.


    http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... r0924.html
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  2. #2
    Senior Member miguelina's Avatar
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    Mexican authorities have said that illegal immigrants have been deterred from crossing by the prospect of spending two weeks to six months in prison for the misdemeanor crime.
    Stuff a sock in it Zoe, it's working! We'll catch them as quick as we can - All OF THEM! The busboys and gardners are criminals too. I'd rather spend my money on more immigration judges and BP agents than on illegal aliens.
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    "

  3. #3
    Senior Member vmonkey56's Avatar
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    Democrats and Republicans on the panel agreed that the administration and Congress need to provide money to hire more immigration judges. They said the 215 judges nationwide are being overwhelmed by a workload that exceeds 300,000 cases annually.
    These well paid 215 judges with clerk helps cannot rule on 1,000 cases annual per judge. 20 cases a week. GIVE ME A BREAK!
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  4. #4
    Senior Member Richard's Avatar
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    It would be wonderful if we had summary process for illegal imigration cases. Unfortunately we have people like Lofgren who tryt to increase due process while complaining about stretched resources.
    I support enforcement and see its lack as bad for the 3rd World as well. Remittances are now mostly spent on consumption not production assets. Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  5. #5

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    It is very simple.
    Judge: Are you an American citizen?
    Immigrant: No
    Judge: Guilty
    "Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country"-John F. Kennedy


  6. #6
    Senior Member Populist's Avatar
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    Open border extremists such as Lofgren are only happy when there is no enforcement. And the more they try to gut and resist what little, belated enforcement is going on now, the more the vast majority of Americans will continue to resist the pro-illegal alien cabal's clamoring for amnesty.
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  7. #7
    Senior Member butterbean's Avatar
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    Mexican authorities have said that illegal immigrants have been deterred from crossing by the prospect of spending two weeks to six months in prison for the misdemeanor crime.
    SO? Maybe Mexican authorities should put it in a comic book so that the peasants can understand that coming here is illegal.

    King countered by citing claims that during the Clinton administration, the selection of immigration judges had systematically discriminated against White males.
    I can believe that Clinton hired pro-illegal non-white judges.
    RIP Butterbean! We miss you and hope you are well in heaven.-- Your ALIPAC friends

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  8. #8
    Senior Member crazybird's Avatar
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    Criminals advance in the seriousness of their crimes when they find out they can get away with it.
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  9. #9
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    Historically, illegal immigrants have immediately been shipped back to Mexico if they did not have criminal records. But if they are caught re-entering illegally again, they are charged with felonies, which can carry sentences up to five years.
    Five years at US taxpayers expense, where all the food and medical care is provided, as well as TV entertainment, religious ceremonies, the law library, etc.
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  10. #10
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    The only REFORM we need in our immigration law is to make illegal immigration into this country a FELONY! AND the perpetrator should face an EXTREMELY hefty fine and no hope of leaving jail until the fine is paid in full.
    .
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    I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.
    ~Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

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