Thread: 11 illegal immigrants are granted 1 year reprieve

Gutierrez will ask the Department of Homeland Security to suspend all deportations to give Congress time to pass a legalization bill, the congressman's spokesman Scott Frotman said.

Gutierrez shouldn't have the authority to make such a request! The only way the DHS should be able to avoid doing their sworn duty is by a congressional mandate, not because Gutierrez or some Democrat politicians want it! We can't let pressure from corporate America and the politicians that bend to their will beat us again. It has happend before:

Major work-site crackdowns have run into trouble in the past. A spring 1998 sweep that targeted the Vidalia onion harvest in Georgia, and Operation Vanguard, a 1999 clampdown on meatpacking plants in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota, provide case studies of how the government fared when confronted by a coalition that included low-wage immigrant workers and the industries that hire them, analysts said.

The Georgia raids netted 4,034 illegal immigrants, prompting other unauthorized workers to stay home. As the $90 million onion crop sat in the field, farmers “started screaming to their local representatives,” said Bart Szafnicki, INS assistant district director for investigations in Atlanta from 1991 to 2001.

Georgia’s two senators and three of its House members, led by then-Sen. Paul Coverdell (R) and Rep. Jack Kingston (R), complained in a letter to Washington that the INS did not understand the needs of America’s farmers. The raids stopped.

Will the same tricks by misguided politicians work again?

Marc Raimondi, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman, said the department was still evaluating the judge's decision but would likely appeal a one-year extension.

Does anyone have an email address for this Marc Raimondi? I think we should start an email campaign demanding that they appeal the judges grant of a one-year extension. Folks, if this is able to slide by, there will be others in the near future.

added to homepage

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1405

Come on, surely someone has a point of countact email address.

Federal Immigration and Nationality Act
Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii)

"Any person who . . . encourages or induces an alien to . . . reside . . . knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such . . . residence is . . . in violation of law, shall be punished as provided . . . for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs . . . fined under title 18 . . . imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."

Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A):

A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:

* assists an alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or

* encourages that alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or

* knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions.

Penalties upon conviction include criminal fines, imprisonment, and forfeiture of vehicles and real property used to commit the crime. Anyone employing or contracting with an illegal alien without verifying his or her work authorization status is guilty of a misdemeanor. Aliens and employers violating immigration laws are subject to arrest, detention, and seizure of their vehicles or property. In addition, individuals or entities who engage in racketeering enterprises that commit (or conspire to commit) immigration-related felonies are subject to private civil suits for treble damages and injunctive relief.

Come on, surely someone has a point of countact email address.

Here is the phone for ICE public affairs:

Office of Public Affairs
Office of Public Affairs Offices
National Headquarters
Phone: 202-514-2648
Fax: 202-307-1918

http://www.ice.gov/about/news/contact.htm

An older ranking of Immigration Judges' Performances

Asylum Denial Rates by Immigration Judge*
FY 2000 - FY 2005

Name of Judge City Number Decided/Percent Denied/Ranking
Mahlon F. Hanson Miami 1,118 96.7 1
Alan A. Vomacka New York 695 95.8 2
Neale Foster Miami 203 94.6 3
William F. Jankun New York 819 94.0 5
Michael A. Kilroy Lancaster 168 94.0 5
Michaelangelo Rocco Buffalo 224 92.4 6
Sandy K. Hom New York 1,368 91.4 7
John Opaciuch New York 1,333 90.2 8
R. Kevin McHugh Bradenton 107 89.7 9
Keith C. Williams Miami 711 88.7 10
Rex J. Ford Miami 1,502 88.5 11
Christine A. Bither Los Angeles 167 88.0 13
Kevin G. Bradley Miami 913 88.0 13
Kenneth S. Hurewitz Miami 487 87.9 14
J. Daniel Dowell Miami 1,198 87.6 15
William A. Cassidy Atlanta 461 87.0 16
Kendall Warren Seattle 160 86.9 17
Anthony S. Murry San Francisco 430 86.7 18
Donald V. Ferlise Philadelphia 906 86.3 19
Denise A. Marks Lane Miami 1,254 86.1 20
Teofilo Chapa Miami 1,254 85.6 21
Larry R. Dean New York 103 84.5 23
Grace A. Sease York 181 84.5 23
Thomas M. Ragno Boston 260 82.7 24
Thomas Y.K. Fong Los Angeles 334 82.6 26
Deitrich H. Sims Dallas 276 82.6 26
Alan L. Page New York 469 82.5 28
Jeffrey L. Romig Los Angeles 416 82.5 28
G. Mackenzie Rast Atlanta 337 82.2 29
Ronald G. Sonom Miami 959 82.1 30
Elizabeth A. Hacker Detroit 767 81.9 31
Robert Yeargin San Francisco 427 81.5 32
Billino W D'Ambrosio Boston 150 81.3 35
Anna Ho Seattle 523 81.3 35
Eugene Pugliese Newark 550 81.3 35
Philip S. Law Houston 402 81.1 36
Scott G. Alexander Miami 1,215 81.0 37
H. Lloyd King Jr. Miami 408 80.9 38
Jay Segal Los Angeles 480 80.8 39
Ronald L. Mullins Las Vegas 172 80.2 40
Joan V. Churchill Arlington 910 79.9 41
Nancy R. McCormack Miami 1,220 79.8 42
Wendell A. Hollis San Francisco 231 79.2 44
Paul L. Johnston New York 669 79.2 44
Howard Van Winkle Houston 134 79.1 45
Wayne K. Houser, Jr. New Orleans 250 78.8 46
Charles J. Sanders Miami 1,287 78.7 47
Jimmie L. Benton Houston 296 78.4 49
Zsa Zsa DePaolo San Diego 139 78.4 49
Bruce W. Solow Miami 1,181 78.2 50
Isabel A. Bronzina Los Angeles 539 77.7 51
Pedro A. Miranda Miami 1,009 77.4 53
William J. Nickerson Lancaster 168 77.4 53
Brian H. Simpson San Francisco 607 77.3 54
Robert O. Vicars Lancaster 158 77.2 55
Kristin W. Olmanson Bloomington 516 77.1 56
Kenneth A. Bagley San Diego 300 77.0 57
Philip J. Montante Buffalo 357 76.5 58
William C. Peterson New York 743 76.2 59
Daniel A. Meisner Newark 503 76.1 60
Lorraine J. Munoz Los Angeles 333 75.7 61
Adam Opaciuch New York 1,490 75.6 62
Harry L. Gastley Las Vegas 322 75.5 63
Anthony T. Giattina Los Angeles 196 73.5 64
Anthony M. Atenaide San Diego 335 73.4 65
Irma Lopez-Defillo Guaynabo 164 73.2 66
Ira Sandron Miami 251 72.9 67
Roxanne C. Hladylowycz New York 1,680 72.6 68
William K. Zimmer Houston 415 72.5 69
Barbara A. Nelson New York 1,480 72.3 70
O. John Brahos Chicago 594 71.9 71
Stephen E. Mander Miami 1,256 71.2 72
Rico J. Bartolomei San Diego 276 70.7 73
Joseph M. Ragusa San Diego 143 70.6 74
Elisa M. Sukkar Miami 1,124 70.4 75
Joseph Russelburg New York 400 70.3 77
Michael W. Straus Hartford 735 70.3 77
Lilliana Torreh-Bayouth Miami 1,322 70.2 78
Miriam K. Mills New York 1,040 70.1 79
Seymour R. Kleinfeld Miami 979 70.0 80
Robert D. Vinikoor Chicago 782 69.6 81
Mimi Schooley Yam San Francisco 397 69.5 82
Walter A. Durling York 359 69.4 84
Robert D. Newberry Detroit 1,298 69.4 84
Clarease Rankin Yates Houston 385 69.1 85
Margaret R. Reichenberg Elizabeth 577 68.8 86
Jan D. Latimore Los Angeles 342 68.4 87
Ira E. Bank Los Angeles 526 68.3 88
John M. Bryant Arlington 755 68.2 89
John D. Taylor Los Angeles 405 68.1 90
Francis L. Cramer Boston 143 67.8 92
Samuel Der-Yeghiayan Chicago 239 67.8 92
James R. Fujimoto Chicago 679 67.5 94
Richard D. Walton Los Angeles 655 67.5 94
John D. Carte San Antonio 115 67.0 96
Rosalind K. Malloy Philadelphia 866 67.0 96
Matthew J. D'Angelo Hartford 199 66.8 97
John F. Walsh Los Angeles 936 66.1 98
John A. Duck Jr. Oakdale 153 66.0 100
Ignacio P. Fernandez San Diego 238 66.0 100
Darlene R. Seligman Los Angeles 259 65.6 101
Wayne R. Iskra Arlington 875 65.4 102
Gabriel C. Videla New York 1,158 65.1 103
Cary H. Copeland Dallas 878 64.8 104
James P. Vandello Denver 451 64.7 105
Michael C. Horn Miami 725 64.6 106
Kenneth Josephson Seattle 1,050 64.4 107
Bruce M. Barrett Baltimore 1,128 64.1 108
Joseph R. Dierkes Bloomington 667 63.9 109
Gaylyn N. Boone San Diego 174 63.8 111
Renee L. Renner Los Angeles 329 63.8 111
Paul A. Defonzo New York 1,251 62.7 112
Robert Brown Houston 274 62.4 113
Henry S. Dogin Newark 1,147 62.1 114
Henry P. Ipema Jr. Los Angeles 489 61.8 115
Charles E. Pazar Memphis 1,022 61.6 116
Jill H. Dufresne Baltimore 1,008 61.0 117
Edward R. Kandler San Francisco 1,053 60.9 118
Terry C. Christian Detroit 139 60.4 120
Annie S. Garcy Newark 697 60.4 120
Mirlande Tadal Elizabeth 753 60.2 121
John F. Gossart, Jr. Baltimore 1,098 60.0 122
Leonard I. Shapiro Boston 647 59.7 123
Dennis F. Coupe San Francisco 131 58.0 124
David Ayala San Francisco 187 57.8 125
David C. Anderson Los Angeles 276 57.6 126
Craig M. Zerbe Chicago 748 56.6 127
Steven R. Abrams Elizabeth 949 56.5 128
Dorothy A. Dunkel-Bradley Los Angeles 464 56.3 130
Jennie L. Giambastiani Chicago 254 56.3 130
Lawrence O. Burman Memphis 1,066 55.9 131
Charles A. Del Bene Los Angeles 431 55.5 132
Patrick T. McDermott Los Angeles 197 55.3 133
Eliza C. Klein Boston 805 55.2 134
Phan-Quang Tue San Francisco 558 55.0 136
Patricia M.B. Sheppard Boston 622 55.0 136
John C. Williams San Diego 333 54.7 137
Anthony J. Randall Miami 1,071 54.2 138
Nicole Kim Newark 135 54.1 139
Jeffrey S. Chase New York 993 53.9 140
Paul M. Gagnon Boston 382 53.7 141
Beverley M. Phillips San Francisco 880 53.6 142
M. Christopher Grant Arlington 448 53.3 143
Michael H. Bennett Portland 382 52.6 145
William J. Martin Los Angeles 437 52.6 145
Craig De Bernardis Philadelphia 415 52.3 146
David J. Cordova Denver 485 51.8 147
Donn L. Livingston Denver 578 51.6 149
Rafael B. Ortiz-Segura Orlando 1,487 51.6 149
Charles M. Honeyman Philadelphia 976 51.3 150
Glenn P. McPhaul San Antonio 118 50.8 151
Rose Peters San Pedro 108 50.0 152
Carlos Cuevas Chicago 658 49.8 153
Bertha A. Zuniga El Paso 123 48.8 154
Joanna M. Bukszpan New York 1,118 48.7 155
Bette Kane Stockton San Francisco 879 48.5 156
Noel A. Ferris New York 753 48.1 158
Christine E. Stancill Los Angeles 501 48.1 158
Robert J. Barrett San Diego 303 47.9 159
Paul Grussendorf San Francisco 496 47.8 160
Helen J. Sichel New York 1,144 47.5 161
Polly A. Webber San Francisco 824 47.2 162
Lisa Dornell Baltimore 1,108 47.0 163
Ingrid K. Hrycenko Los Angeles 545 46.4 164
Robert D. Weisel New York 1,474 46.3 165
Roberto Moreno Orlando 689 46.0 166
Victoria L. Ghartey New York 1,407 45.8 167
Esmeralda Cabrera Elizabeth 406 45.6 168
Philip L. Morace New York 2,111 44.9 170
Gita Vahid-Tehrani Los Angeles 341 44.9 170
Bruce J. Einhorn Los Angeles 483 44.3 171
Gilbert T. Gembacz Los Angeles 694 43.4 172
Michael J. Yamaguchi San Francisco 463 43.0 173
George W. Proctor Los Angeles 185 41.6 175
Irene Weiss Las Vegas 269 41.6 175
Lawrence N. DiCostanzo San Francisco 659 41.0 176
Edwin R. Hughes Dallas 504 39.9 177
Denise N. Slavin Miami 1,340 39.6 178
Matthew T. Adrian New York 357 38.9 179
Marilyn J. Teeter San Francisco 521 38.6 180
Alberto E. Gonzalez San Francisco 982 38.2 181
Paul W. Schmidt Arlington 229 38.0 182
Alberto J. Riefkohl Newark 804 37.8 183
William Joyce Boston 358 37.2 184
Douglas B. Schoppert New York 1,735 36.0 185
Renetta Smith Orlando 601 35.8 186
Theresa Holmes-Simmons New York 1,471 35.6 187
Dayna M. Beamer Honolulu 626 34.3 188
Sarah M. Burr New York 1,612 32.9 189
William Strasser Newark 431 32.7 190
George T. Chew New York 1,895 32.3 191
Dana L. Marks San Francisco 666 31.5 192
Laura L. Ramirez San Francisco 764 30.1 193
Bridgette Laforest New York 1,615 29.8 194
Annette S. Elstein New York 1,423 28.9 195
Carol A. King San Francisco 669 28.6 196
Elizabeth A. Lamb New York 1,452 28.5 197
Noel A. Brennan New York 265 26.8 198
John W. Richardson Phoenix 293 25.3 199
Patricia A. Rohan New York 1,744 24.8 200
Dean A. Levay Phoenix 174 24.1 201
Miriam Hayward San Francisco 662 23.9 202
Vivienne E. Gordon-Uruakpa New York 732 22.8 203
Sandra S. Coleman Miami 1,046 22.3 204
Stephen L. Sholomson Los Angeles 565 20.9 205
William Van Wyke New York 857 17.3 206
Terry A. Bain New York 1,625 10.7 207
Margaret McManus New York 1,636 9.8 208


*Analysis covers judges who made at least 100 decisions "on the merits" for asylum seekers represented by an attorney. Also listed is the base city of the judge. Where a judge was transferred during this period, the city in which the majority of decisions were made is listed.

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University
Copyright 2006

http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports ... ame-r.html

------------------------------------

Another older story

NEWSPAPER STUDY DETAILS GREAT DISPARITY IN IMMIGRATION JUDGES’ TREATMENT OF ASYLUM CLAIMS

The San Jose Mercury News recently released the results of its study of asylum adjudications. The study, conducted with information gathered through a Freedom of Information Request, reveals what many instinctively knew about the asylum process – that whether a person is granted asylum depends less on the merits of the person’s case and more on the judge before whom they present their case. The paper examined 176,465 cases that came before the 219 Immigration Judges between 1995 and 1999.

Some judges granted asylum in half of the cases they heard, while other judges granted asylum in less than two percent of cases. Some judges even routinely deny asylum to applicants from countries such as Bosnia and Somalia, where conditions mean that most applicants are granted asylum. The INS does not evaluate judges on the basis of the rate at which they grant asylum, and do not keep records on how many of their decision are eventually overturned.

According to the Mercury News analysis, there was one factor that was key in determining how an Immigration Judge would rule according their legal background. Judges who worked in the private sector before being appointed granted asylum at a 50 percent higher rate than judges who had previously worked for the government. There are twice as many former government lawyers working as Immigration Judges as former private sector attorneys.

Another important factor was the gender of the judge. Ten of the 24 judges most likely to grant asylum were women, while the six judges least likely to grant asylum were men. Only three of the 24 judges least likely to grant asylum were women. The overwhelming majority of Immigration Judges – 72 percent – are men.

There were also substantial differences between individual offices. For example, most Sri Lankans who sought asylum in San Francisco won, while in similar cases filed in Los Angeles, most were denied asylum. Also, some judges appear to favor applicants from certain countries. For example, comparing two judges, one in Chicago and the other in New Jersey showed that while the New Jersey judge granted asylum in 69 percent of cases from Yugoslavia, the Chicago judge granted it in only 28 percent. On the other hand, the New Jersey judge granted asylum to only 39 percent of applicants from Somalia, while the Chicago judge granted it in 95 percent of cases from Somalia.

Until 1983, Immigration Judges were part of the INS. That year, a new agency within the Justice Department was created, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), to give Immigration Judges more of a sense of independence. Chief Immigration Judge Michael J. Creppy says the focus of Immigration Judges is not on their approval rates, but on whether the case is correctly decided. Since his appointment in 1994, Creppy has worked to increase diversity among Immigration Judges. While this effort has changed the overall thinking of Immigration Judges, it has also created the sense of increasing arbitrariness in their rulings.

Adverse asylum decisions can be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals, which reverses or remands for rehearing about 20 percent of cases.

Immigration Judges are not allowed to publicly comment on their decisions without permission from the EOIR, but in statements that have been authorized, they say that they often feel pressure not to rule a certain way, but to rule quickly on as many cases as possible.

The following tables on statistical breakdowns of Immigration Judge’s treatment of asylum cases is drawn from the San Jose Mercury News.

Disposition of asylum cases, 1995-1999

YearGrantedDeniedAbandonedWithdrawnTotal

1999 7,184 15,736 6,775 10,067 39,762

1998 7,252 20,160 3,744 15,605 46,761

1997 6,588 21,501 732 7,846 36,667

1996 5,159 25,025 686 3,416 34,286

1995 3,123 15,236 539 91 18,989

Total 29,306 97,658 12,476 37,025 176,465

Comparing immigration judges (statistics used for comparison omitted applications from countries whose nationals are seldom granted asylum)

Ten Most Lenient Judges

Judge/City

Lisa Dornell/Baltimore

Terry A. Bain/New York

William Van Wyke/York, PA

Victoria Ghartey/New York

William P. Greene, Jr./Baltimore

Carlos Cuevas/Chicago

Margaret McManus/New York

Edwin R. Hughes/Dallas

Joseph Vail/Houston

Renetta Smith/Chicago

http://www.visalaw.com/00oct3/15oct300.html

Originally Posted by MW

Gutierrez will ask the Department of Homeland Security to suspend all deportations to give Congress time to pass a legalization bill, the congressman's spokesman Scott Frotman said.

I can tell you from all of my research, letter and email writing that it IS NOT just Guiterrez. Its also Durbin, Obama, Mayor Daley, hispanic counsel members and numerous other hispanics who are appointed and politically empowered in Illinois but particularly in Chicago. Cook County, Illinois is a sanctuary which is why Americans are being pushed further into other counties and suburbs, especially the far western suburbs. We are running out of places to run and hide from illegals. The suburban towns (Elgin, Carpentersville, Aurora) that are attempting to fight back are being demonized as racists.

I read an article yesterday questioning why Cook County was loosing its tax base, as if they didn't already know.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

IMMIGRATION JUDGES ADDRESS

O. John Brahos
Carlos Cuevas
James R. Fujimoto
Anthony D. Petrone, Jr.
Renetta Smith
Robert D. Vinikoor
Craig M. Zerbe

Peter P. Pauli IV
Court Administrator

Address and phone
55 East Monroe, room 1900
Chicago, IL 60603

312.353.7313

Gutierrez will ask the Department of Homeland Security to suspend all deportations to give Congress time to pass a legalization bill, the congressman's spokesman Scott Frotman said.

Does this mean if the immigration bill is stalled for another year, there will be no deportations?