Thread: 45,000 from terror-linked nations freed

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/l ... %2C00.html

45,000 from terror-linked nations freed, students face 'illegal' life
By Laura Frank and Burt Hubbard, Rocky Mountain News
June 15, 2006

Immigration agents released half the people they detained who were here illegally from countries that sponsor or support terrorists, a federal study found.
Since 2001, 45,000 people from those countries have been released back into society, a Department of Homeland Security inspector general found in a report released last month. Some of those released had committed crimes.
The situation poses "significant risks" because ICE is releasing some people whose backgrounds are unknown, the report said.
Figures for Colorado were not available. When the Rocky Mountain News researched foreign-born inmates with immigration holds who were in Colorado prisons in May last year, more than 30 were from countries believed to support terrorism.
The federal study also found that as many as one in 10 immigrants who committed crimes in the U.S. are released, largely because of a lack of space and funds.
That falls in line with the findings of the News' yearlong investigation, which determined that at least 10 percent of the foreign-born prison inmates whose records were reviewed had a prior criminal record. Yet there was no record that immigration officials had tried to remove them before they committed the crimes that landed them in prison.
Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Denver said they do not know exactly how many times they have released immigrants who had committed offenses beyond their immigration violations. ICE does not keep those figures.
The inspector general's staff was able to reach its figures only by starting with the total number of immigrants caught by ICE, and subtracting those who were deported or given some other known outcome, such as release on bond. Some could have been removed without a court order, but ICE doesn't track that. The same is true of Colorado prison inmates. ICE officials declined to review their records to see whether any had been administratively removed.
The number of immigrants, including those from terrorism-linked countries, who are caught and released has shot up since 2001, the report said.
Immigration officials say shrinking resources are to blame. Nationally, ICE had a smaller budget and less detention space in 2005 than in 2004 or 2003, even as resources for border security have grown.
"The reality is we're in quicksand," said Victor Cerda, the former national head of ICE's detention and removal program. "You've got to narrow the field in terms of targets."
The targets are many.
The U.S. has an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, almost 600,000 fugitives who were ordered deported but disappeared and 65,000 undocumented students graduating each year from U.S. high schools and becoming deportable adults. ICE agents also are responsible for catching untold numbers of human smugglers and makers of fake IDs.
"It's a question of priorities," said Kris Kobach, who was chief immigration adviser to former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. "The question is where to target ICE resources. Clearly the resources to find and remove 12 million aliens aren't there."
The Denver ICE region - which covers Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming - already is struggling to do its job. Detainees sometimes must sleep on mattresses on the floor at the overcrowded Aurora detention facility. Rural sheriffs say ICE agents can't always pick up illegal immigrants they arrest.
To boost the immigration system, President Bush last month asked for nearly $2 billion in emergency funds, most of which would go to the border. The national budget for ICE, at roughly $3.9 billion, is less than the country spends on cotton-farming subsidies or enforcing marijuana laws.
"Two billion dollars is being touted as a large investment; it's not," Cerda said. "By the time that trickles down to Denver, you're going to get a scrap or two."

Originally Posted by ruthiela

The federal study also found that as many as one in 10 immigrants who committed crimes in the U.S. are released, largely because of a lack of space and funds.

American workers and businesses are taxed and regulated to the bone, but our stupid ass government never seems to have enough money to be efficient.

Originally Posted by wep561

Originally Posted by ruthiela

The federal study also found that as many as one in 10 immigrants who committed crimes in the U.S. are released, largely because of a lack of space and funds.

American workers and businesses are taxed and regulated to the bone, but our stupid ass government never seems to have enough money to be efficient.

Maybe they would have enough money if they would stop giving away our tax dollars to ingrates.