Thread: Blackburn knocks Homeland immigration enforcement effort

Blackburn knocks Homeland immigration enforcement effort
By Bartholomew Sullivan (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Friday, August 1, 2008

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., has written a letter to House appropriations and homeland security committee members critical of efforts she says will weaken Department of Homeland Security abilities to partner with local police in enforcing immigration laws.


The letter, dated today and signed by Blackburn and 48 other House members, asks that language be dropped from a draft spending bill that prohibits spending on agreements with local law enforcement agencies that have not been reviewed to assure they "maximize the identification of aliens who are unlawfully present in the U.S. and have been convicted of dangerous crimes."

The law establishing the federal-local partnerships is referred to as Sec. 287(g). There are 55 such agreements in place and another 80 applications pending across the country. The program in Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County has resulted in the deportation of roughly 3,000 illegal immigrants, Blackburn noted. Memphis and Shelby County do not have 287(g) agreements.

"Tennessee's implementation of the 287(g) program is a success story, and proves that partnerships between local law enforcement organizations and the federal government work," Blackburn said in a statement Thursday.

"This successful track record contrasts with the federal bureaucracy, which has historically proved unwilling or unable to enforce immigration law. My colleagues and I believe Congress should support, and not cut the legs out from underneath, a program that is working to deport criminal illegal aliens from the U.S.," she added.

But in Memphis, immigration lawyers said the program is neither universally popular nor always humanely implemented.

"I think it's a myth that most law enforcement officials want their communities to pass 287(g) laws," said immigration lawyer Greg Siskind. "In the communities that have these laws, they typically have been used to target people for relatively innocuous offenses like jaywalking and speeding tickets and have no impact in reducing the crime rate. Actually, they probably have the opposite effect -- immigrants become afraid of any interaction with the police and ... fail to report crimes."


http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... nd-effort/

Blackburn knocks Homeland immigration enforcement effort

The title of this article is a little misleading. The title could lead one to believe that Rep. Blackburn is against enforcement, which is clearly not the case as is explained in the article.

"I think it's a myth that most law enforcement officials want their communities to pass 287(g) laws," said immigration lawyer Greg Siskind.

Any FACTS ?

That's what I first thought too MW.

But coming from a city and county that have both applied for 287g I read this with interest. I hope this letter, with all it's signatures, is heard and responded to.

I wrote the author of the article, Bartholomew Sullivan:

Your headline:

"Blackburn knocks Homeland immigration enforcement effort"

is entirely incorrect.

It should read:

Blackburn knocks House Appropriations Committee

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., has written a letter to House Appropriations and Homeland Security committee members critical of efforts she says will weaken Department of Homeland Security abilities to partner with local police in enforcing immigration laws. "This successful track record contrasts with the federal bureaucracy, which has historically proved unwilling or unable to enforce immigration law. My colleagues and I believe Congress should support, and not cut the legs out from underneath, a program that is working to deport criminal illegal aliens from the U.S.," she added.

Can anyone find a link to the letter that was sent???

Please post it, if you do, thanks. I looked on her website and didn't find it.

From: Sullivan, Bartholomew <SullivanB@SHNS.COM>
To: buzzm1
Cc: Cerbin, Carolyn <CerbinC@commercialappeal.com>
Subject: RE: Message via the Web site
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2008 11:54 am

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

Buzzm1: I don't write headlines but I will forward your point to the
correct person. You're absolutely right. Thank you for taking the
effort.

Originally Posted by MW

Blackburn knocks Homeland immigration enforcement effort

The title of this article is a little misleading. The title could lead one to believe that Rep. Blackburn is against enforcement, which is clearly not the case as is explained in the article.

That is exactly what I thought until I read it....

Besides when did we give amnesty to the millions that crossed the border who have committed the crime of entering our country illegally....Something tells me they are trying to pull the wool over our eyes...they should ALL be deported

I smell something going wrong here, they are getting way off track and taking Americans with them.