Thread: CA: Congresswoman lashes out against immigration agency

Congresswoman lashes out against immigration agency
By Matt O'Brien
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched: 06/13/2008 09:47:38 PM PDT


OAKLAND — Pledging to "take them on big-time," Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, sharply criticized the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency Friday and declared she would push for measures to reduce the fear she said agents have caused East Bay immigrant families.

The Oakland Democrat told a packed North Oakland church that she wants to "ensure that ICE is following the rules and that those rules are well-known and publicized — especially when it comes to actions at schools, hospitals, religious centers and other critical community institutions."

Her comments followed a furor in Oakland and Berkeley last month when federal operations to arrest illegal immigrants, which ICE says were routine, caused panic because agents were seen in the vicinity of public schools.

ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said the sightings that caused panic "turned out to be entirely erroneous. It's very unfortunate that some people in positions of authority perpetuated those rumors."

But the circumstances surrounding those and other arrests continued to invite condemnation and confusion from local officials this month.

Noel Gallo, an Oakland school board member, told Lee Friday that he believed ICE agents "purposefully" parked near the Stonehurst Elementary School on May 6. And he argued that it was not in dispute that last year at Melrose Elementary School, ICE agents followed a parent toward the principal's office and later escorted her out of the school.

"I am concerned that these intimidation tactics are, quite frankly, inhumane," Lee said. "Some, I think, could be politically motivated. And they are all, I think, totally unacceptable."

What remains unclear is whether ICE has the sort of rules about sensitive locations that Lee said she wants to make sure are followed.

ICE's predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, had a written policy expressly stating that the service "attempt to avoid apprehension of persons and to tightly control investigative operations on the premises of schools, places of worship, funerals and other religious ceremonies," according to copies of agency memorandums from the 1990s.

But Kice said that past policies were not necessarily transferred to ICE when it formed under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003.

"We're a new agency," Kice said. "We have a completely new mission. We have established operating procedures."

Declining to speak about internal policies, Kice said that the agency's publicly stated policy "is that we conduct enforcement at appropriate times and appropriate places." She also said the agency tries to avoid interaction with third parties that could jeopardize the safety of agents or their targets.

Kice said that ICE's Northern California fugitive operations division arrested 2,121 illegal immigrants between Oct. 1 and May 31. Of those, 1,471 were considered fugitives, or people who have ignored a prior deportation order. Another 167 were not fugitives but had criminal charges. And the remaining 583 were in the country illegally and were picked up in the course of the operations.

Lee became the latest Bay Area lawmaker to lambaste the 5-year-old immigration agency in recent weeks, although it was not immediately clear how she would go about introducing any changes to current policy.

Last month, Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, invited San Rafael educators to testify at a congressional hearing about the impacts that Marin County immigration raids have had on local schools. At the same time, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, has been leading an inquiry into ICE's medical treatment of detainees.

Lee said she has raised her concerns with the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which this week proposed a draft $4.8 billion budget for ICE in the coming fiscal year, which is $60 million more than what was requested by the Bush administration. Of that, $800 million would be allotted to efforts focused on identifying and deporting dangerous criminals. Legislators also added a clause to the proposal that would force ICE to cancel contracts with private detention facilities that receive poor audits.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_9582619

CA, the great sanctuary state, pitching a fit because ICE has the unmitigated gall to do their job THERE.

How dare anyone challenge their status as a de facto Mexican state, isn't that right CA?

Pledging to "take them on big-time," Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, sharply criticized the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency Friday and declared she would push for measures to reduce the fear she said agents have caused East Bay immigrant families.

Rep. Barbara Lee is violating of her oath of office.

ICE's predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, had a written policy expressly stating that the service "attempt to avoid apprehension of persons and to tightly control investigative operations on the premises of schools, places of worship, funerals and other religious ceremonies," according to copies of agency memorandums from the 1990s.

Schools--an illegal alien had drugs at school--he and his parents were deported. Schools are suppose to get birth certificates, vaccinations records, proof of living within the school district, and transcripts from former schools but don't ask immigration status? Free breakfast and lunch is a federal funded program for citizens. For safety, many large schools have a police presence on campus. Schools teaching revolution or violence need to be closed.

Places of worship--are aiding and abetting illegals, telling them how to avoid arrest, to be un-co-operative, excouraging them to break the law, offering sanctuary, transportation, sponser mobile foreign consulates, and encourage disobeying the law.

funerals--many gang funerals turn violent, numerous illegal alien gang member attend funerals (G-men attended Mafia funerals), murders do attend funerals of their victims. Gang colors and tatooes stand out at funerals.

other religious ceremonies--any protest could become a prayer ceremony by adding prayers and candles. Weddings are a good source for photographing illegal family members and gang members. The Quinceañera, or 15th Birthday (signifying the transition from childhood to womanhood) recently has been reported the site of gang-related shootings.

I see what her game is! She's up for re election this year according to her site.

LOL....Hispandering to the max

Let's hope Californians jump on it and make sure the public knows that she does not have the power or ability to take on ICE and follow through with her empty campaign promises.

Added to Home PAge
http://www.alipac.us/article3273.html

MY OPINION: being re-elected darling? What we probably would need to do is check who your constituents are and i woudl wager anything that there is a bunch of illegals registered to vote. California has some "dodgy" representatives based on spurious US cnesus bureau numbers. I am so sure, to my core, that entire leading class knows the scam but is far too embarassed to open up that can of worms.

My suspicions are heightened whenever I see an elected represenative who favors and protects illegals to the detriment of American citizens.

I cannot help but wonder what he/she is getting in return for this allegiance to the illegal. Could it be that illegals are actually voting in that district and they intend to return the favor by casting their votes for her.

It's unthinkable how those who were supposedly elected by American citizens could turn their backs on those same citizens in favor of those who have entered this country illegally.

Talk about lack of character. How do they sleep at night?

Holy smokes, they lost the amnesty fight but now it sounds like these cuckoos want to set up amnesty zones, "get-out-of-jail-free zones" if you will. For my money, I'd like to see a clearly identified ICE agent posted at the drop-off lanes of all our schools. The objective is law enforcement -- isn't it? Perhaps good citizens from each school would volunteer to don ICE baseball caps and monitor these zones.

Everyone on the planet knows that Oakland , CA is a cesspool. Politically , ethically and any other way you can mention.

She intends to see to it that ICE follows all the rules. The same policy does not apply when she is addressing illegal aliens. They have to follow only those rules which are convenient to them. We must una$$ ourselves of these traitors in this country or it's over.