Thread: Immigration Enforcement Needs Overhaul, ICE Chief Says

Published: June 30, 2010
Updated: 10:31 a.m.

Immigration enforcement needs overhaul, ICE chief says

By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANAHEIM – Immigration officials must prioritize their limited resources on criminal and new illegal immigrants when it comes to deportations, John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told a group of sheriff's officials gathered Tuesday morning for a national convention.

Morton also stressed the need for local agencies to work with federal officials in enforcing laws.

There are roughly 10.8 million people living illegally in the United States, while ICE officials have the capability to deport about 400,000 a year, Morton said at the annual National Sheriff's Association conference at the Anaheim Marriot. The association represents more than 3,000 sheriffs.

"We don't have the resources we need to address every issue we face in every single county across the country," Morton said. "We live in a world of limited resources, so we have to focus on criminal offenders, on gang members, on people who game the system or just (recently) came across the border illegally."

The comments come about a month after Morton told the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune that the agency might not process illegal immigrants referred to it by Arizona officials. A new Arizona law requires law enforcement to ask for documentation of legal status of people who are stopped on suspicion of violating another law when the officer has reasonable suspicion.

As Morton addressed the sheriffs' organization, ICE agents in Orange County were raiding a manufacturing plant in Fullerton (read that story, here), where they took 43 people into custody.
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-204439.html

Morton said that comprehensive federal immigration change is needed and that the agency would be ready to address immigration issues when change is achieved in Washington.

"I think that everyone agrees that the present system isn't working particularly well, regardless of what side of the spectrum you're on or the view you have on illegal immigration," Morton said. "The devil, of course, is in the details. In the meantime, my focus is on strong law enforcement."

Sheriff Larry Dever of Cochise County, Ariz., said he agreed with Morton's statement about ICE's need to prioritize cases, but he said he remained concerned that decisions regarding law enforcement and illegal immigration might be based on political issues and not safety.

"We have to get the worst crooks first, you target it," Dever said. "(But) you can't do it to the exclusion of other law-enforcement needs."

President Barack Obama will be requesting $600 million in supplemental funding for ICE, and Morton said that may translate to more Border Patrol agents along the southern and northern borders. ICE is also working on expanding and streamlining the Secure Communities program, which helps to identify illegal immigrants who may be detained on other offenses by local law enforcement when they are booked in county jails. ICE plans on having that system become instantaneous during the booking process and to be included in all jurisdictions in the country.

But with limited resources, Morton said his challenge lies in prioritizing.

"We're going to need some sort of reform that addresses that we have 10.8 million people here who are here unlawfully and many have been here for a very, very long time," Morton said. "My challenge as the head of ICE is how to use those 400,000 spots thoughtfully."

Dever said the relationship between local law enforcement officials and ICE has been cooperative in the most part, but he remains concerned about what may be included in a future immigration overhaul, stating he opposed any type of amnesty for illegal immigrants.

"If you don't stop the flow, you can't clear up the problem," Dever said. "You have to secure your border first, or no immigration reform will work."

Contact the writer: shernandez@ocregister.com or 949-454-7361

http://www.ocregister.com/news/morton-2 ... n-ice.html

Immigration enforcement needs overhaul, ICE chief says

The only thing that needs an overhaul are the clowns running our government, specifically those who refuse to enforce current immigration law!

Just another hired mouthpiece of the Obama adminsitration. If there is will then you will find the way. I agree with the Sheriff that you have to focus on the border to shut that down.

Now, lets pose a question and scenario. It is the if I was President for 1 year scenario.

Since we already know the President holds the enforcement branch of the federal government and since we already know that the congress holds the legislative branch of the federal government what part of the two branches are broken on this current immigration problem?

I think most of know the crrect answer to be enforcement. The congress already made the law to be in the country illegally is a criminal offense.

So, what do you suppose would happen if the top federal enforcer (President) had the will and resolve to deal with this problem and he announced that he was giving all illegal aliens 60-days to leave the country before serious enforcement action begins? That any person found to be illegally in the country will be detained for 1 year?

I would suspect we would see a huge number of people self-deporting. The problem with enforcement and penalties is that you actually have to follow through on your threats or you lose any value of the threat.

So, if there was true will to get this job done it can be done with the right incentives that will motivate the illega aliens to leave on their own. We just haven't had a President and congress with the will to address this firmly. If we had, we wouldn't be sitting at 12 million plus illegals and growing.

Show me one person who can't pack up and move in 60-days if they really, really, needed to.

So, we all know Obama doesn't really want to kick out 12 million illegals, he wants to invite them to stay. We know that many if not most of the democrats in congress don't want to kick them out.

So, what we are left with is a dog and pony show until we get a President with the will and a congress to back him or her up. When we get that, we get control of our problem.

The alternative is each state will have to pass their own laws if the will of the citizens of that state determine they not only support forcing illegal aliens to leave, but they demand it of their elected representatives.

I think that is where we are today with Arizona and I think many other states will follow suit, even the ones who right now don't think they want to. In time they will have no choice due to economic reasons.

On an economy of scale illegal immigration spread amongst many states is more economically tollerable so as more states enact strong laws similar to Arizona they will have no choice or they will go bankrupted.

I think this is the only answer because I do not believe or trust our federal government has the desire or the will to do anything significant.

Morton, if i had proof you were not doing your job. id take you to federal ourt and file a class action lawsuit against you.
you do not go out saying you want immigration reform when its your job to arrest, detain, and deport any illegal in this country.

DO YOUR JOB LOSER

Immigration officials must prioritize their limited resources ...

And their "limited resources" is by design. So the logical response is: give them ALL the resources they need.

Morton also stressed the need for local agencies to work with federal officials in enforcing laws.

This is the most important statement in the article.

He is saying that Arizona and other states, counties and cities need to help enforce immigration laws.